


Night and Day

by pineapplefan



Category: The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Sick Character, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-23 00:01:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 30
Words: 40,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2526503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pineapplefan/pseuds/pineapplefan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dallas Winston is the toughest greaser in all of Tulsa. But when he shows up on Two-Bit's doorstep, sick and out of sorts, it's up to Two-Bit to pick up the pieces.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dallas

Two-Bit woke with a start. It took him a moment to figure out why. But then he realized that someone was tapping on his window. _What in the world…?_ He thought to himself as he kicked off his covers and made his way across the room, which was no easy task. He'd had a lot to drink that night and was just now sobering up at 4:00 in the morning. He tripped over the clothes he'd thrown on the floor when he came in but made it to the window without further injury. He opened the blinds to find none other than Dallas Winston staring back at him through the glass.

Two-Bit unlocked his window and lifted it up a crack. He could feel the cool air rush in through the screen. "Dal, what gives, man? You know I need my beauty sleep."

Dally didn't say anything. He just jammed his hands into his pockets and hung his head.

Two-Bit frowned. "Everything okay?"

Dally shrugged his shoulders and continued to stare at the ground.

"What's going on? I didn't even know you were out of the cooler," Two-Bit said.

"Got out this morning," Dally mumbled.

Something in Dally's voice made Two-Bit's stomach sink. It sounded weak, hesitant. Dally sounded so unlike himself that Two-Bit started to think he was dreaming. But the cold, autumn air coming through the window that made the hair stick up on his arms convinced him otherwise. He also realized that Dally was standing outside, wearing only a T-shirt and jeans. He had to be freezing.

"Want to come inside?" Two-Bit asked, knowing Dally would probably refuse.

He was right. Dally let out a huff of air that was a petty attempt at a laugh. "Your mom wouldn't have it," he said.

That was true. Two-Bit's mother _hated_ Dallas Winston. Most people did. They saw him as a good-for-nothing hood with no direction and no future. And with how many times Dally landed himself in jail, it was hard to argue with them.

But Two-Bit's mother had recently found a new boyfriend and was constantly shacking up at his place. "She ain't here," Two-Bit said. "Couch is all yours if you need it."

Even though Dally was hidden partly in the shadows, Two-Bit could see a wave of relief wash over his face. "Yeah, okay," he said softly.

"Meet me at the front," Two-Bit said. "And be quiet, I don't want Liz to wake up." With that he shut the window, grabbed the comforter off his bed, and headed to the living room. He dropped the comforter on the couch and crossed the room to open the door.

Dally was leaning against the door frame, his eyes closed. He opened them when Two-Bit pulled the door open. Two-Bit's stomach dropped. From the light of the entry hall, he could see Dally's face clearly. And he looked awful. He had all sorts of bruises on his face, which really wasn't anything new. He got into fights all the time and was bound to get into some action in the cooler. So the bruises weren't what was troubling Two-Bit. It was the dark circles under Dallas's eyes, the gritting of his teeth, the pale pallor of his skin.

"Are you gonna stare at me, or are you gonna let me in?" Dally asked.

Two-Bit, whose mouth was hanging slightly open, stepped to the side. "You look like shit," he told Dally bluntly as he stepped into the house and practically collapsed onto the couch.

"I'm fine, Mathews," Dally said tiredly. He kicked off his shoes and pulled the comforter over his head. "Go back to bed."

Two-Bit hesitated. He knew Dally was ill. There was no question about it. But he also knew he would never admit to it. Two-Bit let out a sigh. "Wake me up if you need anything, Dal," he said. He flipped off the light and returned to his room.

But it took him a long while to fall back asleep. He kept thinking about the last time he'd seen Dally – before he robbed that gas station, before he was arrested, before he was taken to jail.

It was the night Mr. and Mrs. Curtis passed away…

_"Soda, will you quit tryin' to look at my cards?" Steve accused._

_"You're the cheater!" Sodapop scoffed. "You can see my cards in the reflection from window!"_

_"It ain't my fault the window's on my side," Steve said innocently._

_Steve and Soda were at it again. Their poker games always went the same way. Both would accuse the other of cheating. Both were guilty._

_The rest of the gang was huddled around the TV watching Candid Camera, per Two-Bit's request. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis were out to dinner and a movie for Mrs. Curtis's birthday that had been the weekend before. The show had just cut to a commercial when there was a knock at the front door._

_"Who could that be?" Darry wondered out loud, since the entire gang was already there. He stood up and crossed the room. Before opening the door, he looked through the window and hissed, "It's the police!"_

_"What'd you do this time, Winston?" Two-Bit joked, jabbing Dally in the ribs._

_Darry hushed him before greeting the two officers that stood on the doorstep._

_"Is this the Curtis residence?" the taller of the two officers asked. Soda and Steve had gotten up from the kitchen table and had joined the gang in the living room. Pony had risen from the couch._

_"Yes, sir," Darry answered._

_"I'm afraid we have some bad news," the officer said, removing his cap. His partner did the same. "Darrel and Lorraine Curtis were involved in a car crash tonight. Both of them were killed on impact."_

_The news hit Sodapop first. He stumbled forward and would have landed face-first on the carpet if Steve hadn't there to catch him. Ponyboy was frozen, swaying slightly on his feet. Johnny pulled him back down so he was sitting on the couch and then pulled him into a hug without hesitation. Darry couldn't wrap his mind around what the officer was saying. "No," he kept repeating. "That can't be right."_

_Dally and Two-Bit made eye contact. For the first time in his life, Two-Bit was speechless. For the first time in his life, Dally looked scared. They were both thinking the same thing: how could this happen? The Curtis family did not deserve this._

_"I have to get out of here," Dally whispered to Two-Bit, as Ponyboy stood and crossed the room to embrace Soda. "Tell them I'm sorry, okay?" And that was that. He bolted out the back door, ignoring Two-Bit's frantic whispers calling him back._

_The rest of the night was a blur. It was Steve who ended up finishing the conversation with the police, because Darry needed to console his brothers, who were nearing hysterics rapidly. Two-Bit and a tear-streaked Johnny watched as he knelt down in front of his brothers, and told them with unwavering confidence that everything would be okay._

_The Curtis house didn't sleep that night._

_Neither did Tulsa Juvenile Prison's newest inmate, Dallas Winston._


	2. In Need

The next time Two-Bit woke up, it was because his sister, Liz, was shaking him. "Two-Bit, would you get up already?"

Two-Bit sat up sleepily. "What? Why?" he asked, rubbing his eyes tiredly. His head wasn't being very merciful after all the alcohol he'd had the night before. "Is Mom home?"

"No, she never came home. She's already at work. It's past noon, you know." Liz waved his alarm clock in his face. "You ought to be relieved she didn't stop by because Dallas Winston is on the couch." She told him this as though it was brand new information.

Two-Bit chuckled. "Yeah, I know, kid. Who do you think let him in?" he asked. "He needed a place to crash. Don't tell Mom, okay?"

Liz looked unsure. "Two-Bit…"

"C'mon Liz, he ain't as bad as Mom makes him out to be. Besides, I know you think he's foxy." Two-Bit raised his eyebrows at her and grinned.

Liz's cheeks flushed. "I do not!" she said, beside herself, and smacked Two-Bit with a pillow. But she had a big smile on her face. "Okay, I won't tell," she promised. "He's still asleep too. You guys are a bunch of bums."

"And proud of it," Two-Bit said, sitting up. That's when he noticed that Liz was dressed up in the new top Mom had bought her for her birthday. "Where are you headed?"

"Movies. With Beverly and Carol. That's why I woke you up. Didn't want you to worry about little-old-me," she said tragically.

"I wouldn't have even noticed you were gone," Two-Bit teased. "You got enough money?"

"Yeah, Mom gave me some yester-" Liz was interrupted by a car horn outside. "That's Carol!" she said excitedly. "I'll see ya later, Two-Bit!"

She was out the door to Two-Bit's bedroom before he had the chance to remind her not to let the screen door slam. He winced as he heard the screen inevitably slam back into its hinges. Dally was sure to be awake now.

Two-Bit made his way out to the living room and sure enough, Dally was awake. He was sitting up, his elbows on his knees, his hands clutching his head. He was drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, and trembling violently. Two-Bit's eyes widened as he tried to make sense out of Dally's appearance.

"Dally, are you okay?" he said slowly.

Dally flinched and his head shot up. "J-Jesus, Two-Bit, I didn't know you w-were standing there," he breathed. "I-I just—" he broke off and swallowed hard. His face looked pained. "Shit," he gasped as he bolted off the couch. He sprinted past a bewildered Two-Bit and into the Mathews' bathroom.

Two-Bit didn't even realize what was happening until he heard Dally retching from down the hall. His stomach sank as he cautiously approached the open bathroom door.

Dally was gripping the edge of the Mathews' toilet seat so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. He had splashes of vomit all down his front and sweat streaming down his face. By the time Two-Bit dropped down beside him, Dally didn't have anything of substance left in his stomach and had begun to dry heave.

"Two-Bit, get outta here," Dally moaned between bouts of heaving.

"Not a chance, Winston," Two-Bit said softly.

He wasn't sure what to do, though. Two-Bit had never been the comforting type. Normally he'd just make a lame joke to avoid an uncomfortable situation, but he had a feeling that wisecracking wouldn't help in this case. So he tried to think back to a time when he'd been sick. Truly sick and not something he'd brought upon himself from drinking too much. He remembered vaguely, when he was eleven and had gotten carsick during the ride up to visit his grandmother in Omaha. His mother pulled the car over to the side of highway and Two-Bit lost the contents of his stomach in some weeds. His mother was at his side the entire time, rubbing his back and talking in a soothing voice until it was over.

Two-Bit put his hand on the small of Dally's back and slowly moved it back and forth, just as he remembered his mother doing for him. He could feel Dally's entire frame shaking as he continued heave. "Easy Dally, easy," Two-Bit said gently.

After what seemed like ages, Dally finally regained control of his body and pushed himself away from the toilet. He leaned back against the bathtub and his head slunk onto Two-Bit's shoulder.

Two-Bit reached up to feel his forehead. "Glory Dal, your forehead's hotter than a whorehouse on nickel night!" he exclaimed.

There he went, making jokes again. But the truth was, Two-Bit was actually kind of worried. He had never seen anyone this sick before. What made it worse was that it was _Dallas Winston._ The toughest person he knew. And he knew Dally hated looking weak in front of him – in front of anybody. But there's nothing that can make someone feel more vulnerable than having his own body betray him.

"Dal, I'm going to get you some water," Two-Bit announced. He figured Dally's throat had to be burning after all the retching he'd endured. "Then we'll get you cleaned up. Don't move, okay?"

Dally managed a nod and Two-Bit hurried out of the room. _Stop worrying so much_ , he thought to himself as he filled a glass of water with numb hands. _It's just a stomach bug. It happens to everyone._ But he couldn't shake the feeling in his gut that told him there was more to it than that.

"Still alive in here?" Two-Bit asked when he returned to the bathroom.

"Barely," Dally croaked.

He had taken off his sweaty and vomit-stained shirt and had thrown it into the bathtub. Because of this, Two-Bit could clearly see how skinny he was. He could count every rib. _He wasn't that thin two months ago, was he?_ He couldn't help but wonder. Dally also had all sorts of bruises across his abdomen. Two-Bit realized that he rarely saw Dally with his shirt off, so he didn't know if the bruises were something to be worried about. He shook it off, reminding himself that Dally got into a lot of fights. He was bound to have bruises.

Two-Bit squatted down in front of Dally and handed him the glass of water. "Small sips," he instructed. He watched as Dally carefully brought the glass to his mouth. He wasn't shaking anymore, and that helped Two-Bit relax some. But Dally only took two sips of water before he handed the glass back, shaking his head.

"Can't," he said weakly.

Two-Bit licked his lips nervously and put the glass on the sink. "That's okay. You can try again later." He stood up, wondering what to do next. "You want to take a bath or somethin'?" he asked.

Dally shook his head. "I just want to go back to sleep," he breathed. He bit down on his lip. "Is your mom…?"

Two-Bit had to smile. Dally was sicker than a dog and yet he still had enough energy to worry about the dreaded Mrs. Mathews. "Don't worry about her," Two-Bit assured him. "You can stay here as long as you need." He'd reason with his mother later.

Dally looked unsure but he nodded. "Okay," he said softly.

"How 'bout you crash in my room?" Two-Bit suggested. He held out his hand to Dally. "You can take my bed."

But Dally shook his head. "Couch is fine," he mumbled as he took Two-Bit's hand and stood up.

"Let me rephrase that," Two-Bit said. "You're takin' my bed and that's final. Even if I have to beat you over the head with a two-by-four to get you into it." It sure was a lot easier to stand up to Dallas Winston when he didn't have the strength to fight back.

"Fine, don't get your panties in a twist," Dally said in a huff.

He was so unsteady on his feet that Two-Bit had to put his arm around his waist to keep him from falling over. Together they walked out of the bathroom and down the hall. Dally grumbled that he could do it himself and Two-Bit bluntly retorted, "Like hell you can."

Dally took a seat on the bed while Two-Bit rummaged through his dresser for an extra shirt. He found a plain, navy blue one that used to belong to his father. It was too big for him, but it would fit Dally fine. "Here, put this on," Two-Bit said. He tossed him the shirt.

"This ain't one of your Mickey shirts, is it?" Dally asked, inspecting the shirt thoroughly. "You won't catch me dead in one of those."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with Mickey," Two-Bit said proudly. He sat down beside Dally while he put the shirt on, noticing again how thin he looked. "Dal, has this been going on for a while? You being sick?"

Dally just stared. "What do you mean?" he asked hoarsely.

Two-Bit took in a deep breath. "I dunno, man. It just seems like you've lost a lot of weight. You ain't nothing but skin and bones." He poked at Dally's ribs.

Dally pushed his hand away. "Yeah well, the cooler doesn't exactly have gourmet meals, you know," he said bitterly. "I'm okay, Two-Bit." Somehow, the tone in his voice made Two-Bit believe the very opposite.

But he decided to drop it. For now. He could tell Dally was itching to go back to sleep. "If you say so," he said wearingly.

Two-Bit stood up and Dally took the opportunity to collapse into the pillows. He didn't even bother to get under the covers. Two-Bit rolled his eyes and pulled the covers out from underneath him. Then he draped them over Dally's shivering body.

"You better feel better tomorrow, Winston, because I ain't gonna make takin' care of you a habit," Two-Bit joked. He put his trash can beside the bed in case Dally's stomach went haywire again.

"I ain't askin' you to," Dally said.

Two-Bit grinned. "I know you're not." Then he remembered the water that was still in the bathroom. He ran and got it and set it on the nightstand. "Try to drink some more if you can, okay?"

"'Kay," Dally said sleepily.

Two-Bit started to head out the door, but then a question occurred to him. "Hey Dally, is there a reason you came here instead of crashing at the Curtis's?"

It sure would've been easier for Dally to crash on the Curtis's couch. Everyone in the gang knew they were welcome to stay the night there whenever they needed to. The door was always unlocked. No questions asked, breakfast usually provided, and most importantly, no nagging mothers.

Dally hesitated. "I didn't want to bother them," he mumbled. "Darry probably would've kicked me out anyway."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I'm a fucking coward and landed myself in jail," Dally spat, clearly disgusted with himself. "I missed the funeral."

Two-Bit's heart sank, and he went back to sit on the foot of the bed. "Dal, Darry's not mad at you," he said gently, remembering how Darry had commented that he wished Dally had been there. How he hoped he was okay. "If anything, he's worried about you, man."

"Well he shouldn't be," Dally snapped, glaring out the window. "He's got enough to worry about and I ain't worth it."

"You are too worth it," Two-Bit said sternly. If Dally hadn't been sick, he would've smacked him upside the head.

Dally didn't respond. He continued to gaze out the window, biting down on his lip. "Can I go back to sleep now?" he asked tiredly, obviously not up for this discussion.

Two-Bit sighed. "Yeah, I guess so." He stood up. "Just holler if you need anything." He patted Dally's foot on his way to the door.

He flipped out the light and had just about closed the door when he heard a soft, "Mathews."

Two-Bit paused and cleared his throat. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

It seemed almost foreign hearing a sincere form of gratitude coming from of the mouth of Dallas Winston. That's why Two-Bit let out a little a chuckle and shook his head before replying: "Don't mention it, man."


	3. Time

While Dally slept, Two-Bit was able to get a lot accomplished. First, he ate breakfast. Granted, it was 1:30 in the afternoon, but he wanted pancakes so that's what he made. He hoped getting some food in his system would help the headache from his hangover go away.

Then he cleaned the bathroom and straightened up the rest of the house the best he could. His mom sure was disorganized, but Two-Bit gave her props. Raising two children as a single mother, especially two goofballs like Two-Bit and Liz, was no easy task. He wanted the house to look nice so his mom would be in high spirits when she came home. If he played it right, he'd be able to convince her to let Dally stay.

He was just finishing up dusting the TV when the phone rang. He ran and got it, duster still in hand. "Hello?"

"Two-Bit, you still up for the drag races?" Sodapop's voice came over the line. "We're leavin' soon. I think Pony and Johnny are gonna come too."

Drag races. Two-Bit had completely forgotten he told Soda and Steve that he'd go with them.

"Shoot, Soda, I forgot all about that," he confessed. "Listen, Dally crashed at my place last night and—"

"Wait, Dal's out of the cooler?" Soda interrupted excitedly, and Two-Bit heard some whoops and hollers in the background. It sounded like Steve and Johnny were already over at the Curtis's. "That's great! You both should come!"

"We can't," Two-Bit told him dolefully. "Winston's sicker than a dog."

"He's sick?" Soda repeated, disbelief evident in his voice. Two-Bit wasn't the only one who thought Dally was indestructible.

"Yeah. I think he's got a fever and he can't keep anything down."

"That can't be pretty," Soda remarked softly.

Two-Bit laughed. "You're tellin' me."

"Well, we don't have to go if you need help or somethin'," Soda offered.

"Nah, I don't want to hold you guys back. I got it covered," Two-Bit assured him. "Besides, y'all need to get outta that house and have some fun. Ponyboy especially."

"Boy, you ain't a'woofin'," Sodapop agreed lowly. "I'd give anything to see Pony crack a smile again." He cleared his throat gruffly. "Anyway, tell Dally to feel better for us, okay Two-Bit?"

"Yeah, sure thing," Two-Bit said, his heart heavy as he hung up the phone.

Two-Bit knew Sodapop was worried about Ponyboy. They'd talked about it last night at Buck's while they shot some pool. Apparently the kid was having nightmares. That didn't surprise Two-Bit at all. Even he'd dreamed about Mr. and Mrs. Curtis's car going up in flames a couple of times. But Soda said Pony's nightmares had gotten so bad that they had to share a bed now.

Two-Bit really admired Soda. He was the glue that was holding his brothers together. He had this miraculous ability to put everyone before himself. And he was able to take life by stride, without questioning whether it was fair or not. He was grieving of course, but he'd remained true to himself throughout the whole ordeal. Darry and Pony had changed. It wasn't really their fault. Darry had to change. He was the man in charge now; he had to be responsible. And Ponyboy, he couldn't help it. He thought about things too much. And he loved too much. His parents' deaths were nothing but a big question mark to him, and unfortunately, no one in the gang had an answer that would bring him back to earth.

"He just needs time," Johnny had said wisely. "Time fixes everything."

Two-Bit hoped Johnny was right. Ponyboy still had his whole life ahead of him. That kid was going places, he was sure of it.

Two-Bit finished dusting the house and then, satisfied, he kicked his feet up on the coffee table and watched a couple reruns of _The Dick Van Dyke Show_. It wasn't like him to be cooped up in the house on a Saturday afternoon, and it was starting to drive him crazy. He wished Dally wasn't sick, because then they all could've gone to the drag races. He couldn't wait to have the gang back together again. It might just be the dose of normalcy that they were looking for.


	4. Dilemma

Liz came bounding in the door just as Two-Bit started his third rerun of _The Dick Van Dyke Show_. "Hey Two-Bit!" she said happily. She had a smile on her face so big she could've passed as a clown.

Two-Bit raised his eyebrows. "What's with you?" he asked.

"Oh nothing," she said mysteriously. "I just came back to freshen up. I'm heading back out. Bev and I are going to grab some ice cream with some guys we met at the movie."

Two-Bit sat up. "What?" He wasn't sure if he was ready for his baby sister to be dating.

"Yeah, they gave us a ride back because Carol had to go to work."

"So they're here?" Two-Bit asked, racing to the window. There was a tan Buick parked out front. "Can I meet them?"

"Absolutely _not_ ," Liz said, pulling him away from the window and laughing. "I can embarrass myself enough without you doing it for me."

"A valid point," Two-Bit allowed. "Did you ask Mom?"

Liz sighed. "Yeah, 'course I did. She said it was fine. It ain't a big deal, Two-Bit. We're just gettin' ice cream." She made her way to the bathroom. "Oh," she turned around. "I almost forgot. Mom wanted me to tell you that Rick's coming over for dinner tonight."

Two-Bit groaned inwardly and let out a few choice curse words.

"C'mon, Two-Bit, he's not so bad," Liz said. "I like him. I thought you did too."

Two-Bit did like Rick. He was truly a nice man and he had a decent sense of humor. But he was a well-to-do guy, a lawyer in fact, and his mom was always trying to impress him. There was no way she'd let a convicted hood be in his presence.

"It's not that," Two-Bit said. "Winston's still here."

Liz's eyes widened. "Why?"

"He's sick. I ain't about to throw him out on the street."

"Two-Bit, he can't stay here. Mom'll skin you alive!"

Two-Bit took a seat on the couch and let his head fall into his palms. "Tell me somethin' I don't know," he mumbled.

"Just tell him to go to the Curtis's," Liz said simply as she started reapplying her makeup in the bathroom mirror.

"They ain't home. They're at the drag races."

Liz popped her head out of the bathroom and gave him a look that said, _well then you're fucked._ But she didn't voice it. "Well, if you haven't figured out what to do with him by the time I get back, I'll try an' help you convince Mom to let him stay."

Two-Bit rolled his eyes. "And then I'll be forever in your debt, right?"

"Naturally," Liz said as she grabbed her purse off the couch. "I gotta run. Tell the rat to feel better for me."

"Yeah, yeah," Two-Bit said, waving her on. "Go have fun."

Liz gave Two-Bit a quick peck on the cheek before bounding back out the door. Two-Bit couldn't help but grin as he watched her get into the car with her friends from the front door. Liz sure could lighten the mood. They were alike that way.

Two-Bit watched the Buick pull out of the driveway. He continued to watch it until it had disappeared down the road. Then he sighed, succumbing to the fact that he had to figure out what to do about the sick hood in his bed.

Right as he was about to head back inside, Two-Bit's eye caught sight of a light blue truck a little ways down the road. But it wasn't just any old truck. It was Darry Curtis's truck. As if on cue, Darry pulled into the Mathews' driveway, hopped out, and started making his way up to the front porch.

Two-Bit stared. "What are you doin' here, Superman?" he called down to him. "Ain't you supposed to be at the drag races?"

Darry climbed the stairs to the porch in two leaps. "Soda, Pony, Steve, and Johnny are all there. I just dropped them off."

"You didn't want to go?"

"Nah, that's kids' stuff," Darry said casually.

"Shoot, Darry, _you're_ just a kid," Two-Bit said. He hated that Darry was neglecting any chance he had for fun. He hadn't taken a second for himself since the night of the accident.

Darry shrugged it off and sat down on the porch swing. "Soda and Pony could use a break from me anyway," he insisted. "I just wish I could go back to being their brother again. I ain't cut out for this parent bullshit." Darry let out a sigh. "That's why I came here. I want to forget I have responsibilities for an hour or two."

"Then you've come to the right place!" Two-Bit said happily, flopping down next to him. "Except today I haven't done anything but cook, clean, and take care of a man-child."

Darry smiled slightly and nodded. "Soda told me Dally was sick. I didn't even know he was out of the cooler. Did you?"

Two-Bit shook his head. "Not until he showed up last night." Two-Bit looked down at his hands. "He ain't well, Darry."

The hint of the smile on Darry's face disappeared. "How bad is he?"

Two-Bit hesitated. He was worried about Dally. Not just because Dally was sick, but also because he wasn't acting like himself. But maybe that was just Two-Bit being paranoid. Should he really bring up his concerns about Winston, when heaven knows Darry had enough on his plate? But Two-Bit also knew if anyone could get Dallas Winston to open up, it was man sitting beside him. He was Superman, after all.

So Two-Bit let out a deep breath and told Darry the truth. He told him how jumpy Dally was, how he'd lost a lot of weight, how he was covered in bruises. "And this morning, glory Darry, he was so sick."

Darry was quiet for a moment. "Do you think something happened while he was in jail?" he asked softly.

Two-Bit ran his hand through his hair and scratched the top of his head. "I dunno, man," he said honestly. "I didn't think it was a good time to bombard him with questions. He could barely keep his head up."

Darry let out a low whistle. "I can't imagine Dal being sick," he said. "It just doesn't suit him."

"It sure ain't good," Two-Bit agreed. "Hey listen, Darry. Would it be okay if Dal stayed the night at your place tonight? My mom's having Rick over for dinner and there's no way she'll let him stay here."

Darry nodded. "Yeah, that ain't a problem. I'm surprised he didn't crash at our house in the first place."

Two-Bit swallowed hard. "He thought you'd be mad at him," he told Darry. "Since he missed the funeral."

Darry swatted the air in front of him with his hand. "Nah, I know how Winston works. He just didn't want to face it. I sure don't blame him, either." Darry glanced at Two-Bit. "You told him I wasn't mad, right?"

"'Course I did. But he probably wants to hear it from you." Two-Bit was quiet for a moment. "I should probably go make sure he's still alive. Want to come? I'm sure he'll want to see you."

"Yeah, I'll come," Darry said, standing up. "And hopefully Dal will feel up for some visitors tonight, because Johnny sure would like to see him too. He was so excited when he heard Dal was out of the cooler."

The pair headed into the house. Two-Bit was glad he'd found a place for Dally to stay the night. Now he only hoped they could get Dally back to his old self and feeling better. He just didn't realize how hard that was going to be.


	5. Reassurance

As Two-Bit and Darry approached the bedroom, Darry had a thought: "Maybe you should let Winston know I'm here before I go in," he said. "He probably doesn't even know that I know he's out of the cooler."

Two-Bit shrugged. "Yeah, I can do that. Wait here."

He opened the door to his bedroom quietly while Darry remained in the hall. Dally was buried under the covers, snoring softly. "Hey, Dally," Two-Bit said softly, hovering above him. He slowly pulled the covers off of his head. "Dal, you need to wake up, man."

Dally opened his eyes and squinted. It was clear that he was a little disoriented. "Two-Bit?" he asked, confused.

"Yeah, it's me." Two-Bit sat down on the foot of the bed. "How're you feeling?"

Dally sat up and rested his head against the headboard. "Empty," he answered hoarsely, obviously remembering the painful retching he'd endured just hours before. "How long was I asleep for?"

"'Bout three hours," Two-Bit said. He reached his hand up to feel Dally's forehead and cursed under his breath. "You're still hot."

Dally shoved his hand away. "I'm okay, Two-Bit."

"I wish you'd stop sayin' that," Two-Bit told him. Dally was far from "okay."

"What'd you do all day?" Dally asked, not-so-subtly switching the focus off of himself.

Two-Bit shrugged. "Cleaned, watched TV, let Liz run amok with some guys she just met." He paused and smiled. "And guess who's here."

"How should I know?" Dally asked. "I ain't a mind-reader."

Two-Bit chuckled. "Darry. He stopped by after taking the rest of the gang to the drag races."

Dally tensed and his eyes widened. "Darry's here?" he breathed.

"Yeah," Two-Bit said. "Relax, man, I told you he ain't mad at you. He just wants to make sure you're okay. You want see him?

Dally looked unsure, but he nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"Curtis, get in here!" Two-Bit called into the hallway.

Seconds later, Darry stepped into the doorway. "Hey Winston," he said casually.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Dally said. He gave Darry a wry smile and straightened up in the bed. Two-Bit stared at him. Dally's voice sounded like its usual self. Rough, hard, and cool.

Darry, chuckling lightly, approached the bed slowly. "It's good to see you, Dal," he said. He held out his hand to Dally and they exchanged a firm handshake. "How're you doing, man?"

"I should be askin' you," Dally said, avoiding Darry's eyes. He started cracking his knuckles, one by one. He always did that when he was nervous. "How are you guys?"

Darry's smile faded. "We're hanging in there." That was Darry's go-to answer whenever he was asked that question. It was a simple answer; the truth.

With no more fingers left to crack, Dally stared down at his hands. "I'm real sorry I missed the funeral, Dar," he said timidly. "Two-Bit says you ain't mad, but if you are—"

"Two-Bit's right," Darry interrupted firmly. He pulled up Two-Bit's desk chair so he could sit beside the bed. "I ain't mad at you. I know the news was hard for you to handle. I get it. Hell, if I didn't have Pony and Soda to worry about, I probably would have snapped and landed myself in jail, too."

Two-Bit snorted at that. "You couldn't land yourself in jail if you tried, Superman. You use that damn head of yours too much."

"Yeah, it's a curse," Darry said, rolling his eyes. His expression hardened as he looked Dally over real good. "You're lookin' pretty under the weather, Dal," he commented. There was no missing those dark circles under Dally's eyes or the sheer paleness of his skin. "Two-Bit told me you had a rough morning."

"Yeah, I've had better," Dally acknowledged. "But I'm feelin' a lot better now."

"You are?" Two-Bit asked skeptically.

"Yeah," Dally said with what Two-Bit detected as fake enthusiasm. "I ain't about to go run any marathons, but I'm alright."

Two-Bit glanced at Darry and was relieved that he didn't seem to be buying what Dally was saying either. "Hey Dal," Two-Bit said slowly. "How do you feel about staying at the Curtis's tonight?"

Dally glared at him. "Your mom told you I couldn't stay, didn't she?" he asked flatly.

"Actually, she still doesn't know that you're here," Two-Bit said. "But Liz warned me that Rick's coming over for dinner and…" he trailed off.

"I get it," Dally said sharply. He glanced at Darry. "But I don't have to stay at your place, Curtis. I can go to Buck's." Buck Merrill always had a room or two open above his bar. Two-Bit had stayed there a couple of times himself, usually when he was drunk out of his mind and didn't want his mother to know. But Buck's place was no place for a sick kid to get any rest. It was loud and dirty. Dally would be better off sleeping by the train tracks.

"Don't be stupid," Darry said sternly. "Besides, Soda and Pony will want to see you. And Johnny will probably stay over tonight, too."

Two-Bit could actually see Dally's face light up at the mention of Johnny, and he was certain that's what convinced him to agree to stay at Darry's.

Since Two-Bit's mom wasn't supposed to get off work until around 5:00, Two-Bit suggested to Darry that they should try and have Dally eat something before heading over to his place. Darry agreed, so Two-Bit heated up a can of chicken noodle soup.

Dally managed to eat half of a bowl of soup, which made Two-Bit relax a little. Maybe he was feeling better after all. He at least had some substance in his stomach again.

It was nearing 4:30 when Darry said they ought to head out. Two-Bit was planning on going with them because Darry still had to go pick the gang up from the drag races, and he didn't want Dally left alone in the Curtis's empty house. "We'll go after this episode," Two-Bit said. All three of them were sitting on the couch watching the end of yet another _Dick Van Dyke_ episode.

But Mrs. Mathews had gotten off work early that day. And she stepped in the front door just as they were preparing to get off the couch and leave. Two-Bit couldn't believe his bad luck.

At first, his mother had a big grin on her face, probably because the first thing she noticed was that Two-Bit had cleaned. But then she laid eyes on Dally, who was sitting frozen on her couch. Her grin quickly transformed into a frown and she folded her arms across her chest. "Keith," she addressed Two-Bit through gritted teeth. She only called him by his real name when he was in trouble. "You better have a good reason for this boy being here, son."

Two-Bit gulped. He had some explaining to do.


	6. Trouble

"Kitchen. Now," Mrs. Mathews demanded. She stormed off in that direction, obviously expecting Two-Bit to follow.

Two-Bit stood up and shot Dally an apologetic look before following his mother into the kitchen. Darry had put his hand on Dally's shoulder, no doubt trying to comfort him. Dally looked like he'd been smacked in the face.

"Mom, Dal was real sick last night and he just needed a place to stay," Two-Bit said desperately as he stepped into the kitchen.

"I told you I did not want him setting foot into this house, Keith." His mother's voice was hushed, but she was fuming mad. Each word she spoke had a bite to it.

"You weren't even here!" Two-Bit said, exasperated. "If you're gonna set rules then maybe you should be around to enforce 'em." He knew he was pushing it, but somehow he didn't care.

"Watch your attitude, kid," Mrs. Mathews warned, folding her arms across her chest. "When I'm not here you are expected to set an example for your sister. And that _hoodlum_ , whose proudest achievement is his mile long rap sheet, has no business in my house!"

Two-Bit could feel his blood boiling. His mom was being so unfair. He had never fully understood her complete distaste for Dallas Winston. She didn't seem to have a problem with Steve, and Steve was no saint. Neither was Two-Bit for that matter.

"I don't get why you hang around with him," his mother continued, her voice becoming gradually louder. "Didn't I raise you better? He has no future. He's a screw-up! A nobody!"

Two-Bit couldn't believe his mother was saying these things with Dally in the next room. He was so angry that he could feel tears start to prick his eyes. "He's not a nobody," he said, trying to hold his voice steady. "And if you'd just open your eyes for two seconds, you'd realize that."

Mrs. Mathews wasn't convinced. "Just get him out of here, Keith," she said tiredly.

"Fine," Two-Bit snapped. "We were just leaving, anyway." He turned on his heel and started to walk out of the kitchen. But then he turned back, determined to dramatize his exit. He looked his mother right in the eyes. "You know, sometimes I wish you were more like Mrs. Curtis," he said rigidly. "She never would've kicked a sick kid out of her house."

There. That one had to sting. Two-Bit kept his head down and left his mother standing bewildered in the kitchen.

Darry and Dally were waiting for him by the front door. "Let's go," he said to them, not missing a beat. They followed him outside without question.

Mrs. Mathews called out to Two-Bit from the porch while he was getting in Darry's truck. "Will you be home in time for dinner?"

"Don't count on it," he shouted back. "I ain't got much of an appetite." Two-Bit dropped into the seat beside Dally and slammed the door shut. "Drive, Darry."

Darry didn't have to be told twice. He put the truck in reverse and zoomed out of the driveway.

"You shouldn't have done that," Dally said to Two-Bit. "You ain't gotta stick up for me."

"Well if I don't, who's gonna?" Two-Bit returned sharply. "What she was saying, it wasn't right."

Dally shrugged. "It was the truth," he said coolly, and then he actually smiled. "My proudest achievement _is_ my mile long rap sheet."

"I don't believe that for a second," Darry chimed in. "It's all part of your reputation. There's more to you than that."

Dally rolled his eyes and locked his jaw, but he didn't say anything.

The rest of the ride was silent. Dally leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Darry gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes fixated on the road. And Two-Bit stared out the window, fuming with anger at his mother, while at the same time feeling sorry about what he had said to her.

The comment he had made about Mrs. Curtis was out of line. He knew that. His mother and Mrs. Curtis had been close, friends even. Bringing Mrs. Curtis up out of spite was just wrong. Two-Bit knew those words had hurt his mom and he wished he hadn't said that.

Darry pulled into his driveway and Two-Bit and Dally hopped out. "You good here?" Darry asked.

"Yeah man, thanks. We'll see you when you get back." Two-Bit waved to Darry as he left to pick up the rest of the gang from the races.

When Two-Bit turned back, Dally was standing frozen in front of the Curtis's house.

"Dal…?"

"What's it like?" Dally asked softly, his eyes focused on the front door. "Without her there?"

Two-Bit swallowed hard. "It's different," he told him honestly. "No matter how many of us are over, the place just feels like it's missing something."

Dally nodded, as if that was the answer he was expecting. He bit down on his lip and then took in a deep breath.

"You ready?" Two-Bit asked cautiously.

Dally exhaled slowly and then nodded again. "As I'll ever be," he answered.

Two-Bit patted him on the shoulder and together they started walking up the driveway to the Curtis's empty house.


	7. Peacemaker

While they waited for Darry and the rest of the gang to get back, Dally dozed on the couch and Two-Bit turned on the TV and then kicked his feet up on the coffee table. But he must've dozed off too because he woke up to laughter and hushed voices.

"I just can't believe Two-Bit fell asleep with Mickey on." That was Steve.

Two-Bit's eyes flew open. "Mickey's on TV?"

"Yeah, you're missing a good one," Soda said, chuckling. "Mickey's moving out but the furniture doesn't want to leave his house."

Two-Bit laughed. "Classic. I've already seen that one." He looked around. Only Soda and Steve were in the room. Dally was still sound asleep on the couch. "Where is everybody?"

"Darry's cooking dinner and Pony and Johnny are out on the porch," Soda answered. "Somethin' about a sunset…" He trailed off, looking Dally over from where he and Steve stood by the front door. "How's he doing?" he asked, nodding in Dally's direction.

Two-Bit sighed. He couldn't believe Dally hadn't woken up. Steve and Soda weren't exactly quiet human beings. "I thought he was doing better. But I guess he's still pretty wiped out."

"Yeah, no kidding," Steve said. Both he and Soda went and stood over Dally. "Earth to Winston," Steve said, cupping his hands around his mouth and pretending to be a dispatcher. Two-Bit had to laugh at that.

Dally opened his eyes lazily. "Steve?" he said hoarsely. He sat up slowly and wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Soda?"

"Yup, didn't cha miss us?" Steve said, happily, slapping Dally on the shoulder. But his smile quickly turned to a frown as he got a better look at him. "Jesus, Dal, you really don't look good, man."

Steve was right. Dally looked downright awful. He had beads of sweat on his brow and his eyes were void of any energy. "Nah, I'm okay," Dally said. "It's good to see you guys."

"It's good to see you too, Dally," Soda said and he sounded sincere. "We've missed you around here."

"Have the Socs been staying out of our territory?" Dally asked. It was obvious what he was doing. He was trying to get the focus off of himself again.

"Yeah, for the most part," Soda told him. "I heard Shepard's gang ran a group of them out of town about a week back. They were playin' mailbox baseball or somethin' in his neighborhood."

"Shoot, mailbox baseball is fun, though," Two-Bit chimed in. "Gotta hand it to those rotten Socs for that." Mailbox baseball is when a group of guys pile into a car and then take turns swinging at mailboxes with a baseball bat as they drive past them. The goal is to knock the mailbox off of its post. Two-Bit used to play that game all the time when he'd first gotten his license. It caused a lot of destruction, but boy howdy, it was fun.

"I'm gonna go outside for a smoke," Dally announced and stood up.

Darry overheard him as he walked into the room. "I don't think that's a good idea," he said. "You shouldn't smoke on an empty stomach."

"I had soup," Dally retorted. "Lay off, Curtis."

Darry, realizing that he wouldn't win the battle, gave up. "Fine Dal, do whatever you want. Tell Ponyboy to come in here while you're out there, will ya? It's his turn to set the table." Darry turned to Soda. "You're on clean up tonight, little buddy."

"What're we having?" Soda asked, as the screen door slammed shut behind Dally.

"Mac and cheese and meatballs," Darry answered. "Steve, Two-Bit, you want dinner? We have enough."

"Steve's got a date with Evie," Soda answered for him.

"Hardly," Steve grumbled. "We're having dinner with her parents." He checked his watch. "I should probably go. Don't want to be late. I'll catch you guys later."

Soda flopped down on the couch beside Two-Bit as Steve headed out the front door and Ponyboy came in.

"Two-Bit, you stayin'?" Darry asked.

Two-Bit wasn't really listening. He was watching Dally and Johnny on the porch through the window. They were sitting on the front stoop, each with a cigarette in their hand. Two-Bit had never really understood their friendship. Besides having dreadful parents, they couldn't be more different. Dally was rough, hard, and mean. Johnny was quiet, caring, and amicable. But somehow, something about little Johnny Cade made Dally softer. Two-Bit could see it right before his eyes. Johnny was animatedly talking to Dally, probably about the drag races, and Dally was listening intently. He even had a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Two-Bit?" Darry said again.

Soda elbowed Two-Bit in the ribs. "What? Oh yeah, I'll stay," Two-Bit answered. "Thanks, Darry."

"Ponyboy, put out six bowls!" Darry said as he walked back into the kitchen, leaving Soda and Two-Bit alone in the living room.

"Are you sure you want to stay?" Soda asked. "What about dinner with your mom and Rick?"

Two-Bit's brow furrowed in confusion. How did Soda know about that?

"Darry told me," Soda explained quietly.

"Then he probably told you about the fight we had too, huh?" Two-Bit asked.

"Yeah, he did," Soda said. "He told me how you stuck up for Dally." He was quiet for a moment. "You're worried about him, aren't you?"

Two-Bit leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "Yeah," he admitted. "I just have a bad feeling that something ain't right."

Soda nodded sympathetically. "I know. I got that feeling too." He sighed and then glanced at Two-Bit nervously. "Can I give you some advice?"

Two-Bit shrugged. "Sure."

"I think you ought to go home and have that dinner with your mom."

Two-Bit snorted. "Why in _hell_ would I do that?"

"Just hear me out," Soda said, his tone serious. "What your mom said about Dally was wrong. I get that. And I get why you're upset. But you gotta realize that she was just being protective of you, man. It's what mothers are supposed to do. And you gotta admit, most of the time, it's a good thing to have a mom who cares about you and who you spend your time with. Johnny and Dally, they ain't ever gonna know what that's like. You're one of the lucky ones, Two-Bit."

Two-Bit digested what Soda was saying. Soda had always been real good at seeing both sides of an argument. He might not be book smart, but he was people smart. And after weighing his options, Two-Bit knew what he had to do. He had to go home and apologize.

Two-Bit sighed. "Damn you, Sodapop Curtis, for making me a better person," he said, and stood up. "You're right. I gotta go."

Soda laughed. "Just doin' my job." He stood up too. "And don't worry about Dally," he said softly. "He's tough. He'll be okay."

Soda walked out with Two-Bit and joined Dally and Johnny on the porch.

"Where are you headed, Mathews?" Dally asked.

"Soda convinced me to go patch things up with my mom," Two-Bit said. Then held up his hand and crossed his fingers. "Wish me luck."

Dally let out a huff of air. "You'll need it," he scoffed.

"Boy, I know it," Two-Bit said, as he dropped his hand. He patted Dally on the shoulder. "Feel better, Winston. I'll catch you guys tomorrow." He ruffled Johnny's hair and then hopped off the porch in one leap.

As Two-Bit made the trek back to his house he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. The weight of taking care of Dally on his own had been lifted from his shoulders. And he knew Dally was in good hands. Now Two-Bit just hoped that his mom had cooled off since their disagreement so he could apologize and make everything right again.


	8. Dinner

Two-Bit's mother had clearly been affected by the argument they had. When Two-Bit walked in the door, she came bustling out of the kitchen and gave him a big hug. "I knew you'd come back for dinner," she said. She had a big smile on her face, an apologetic look in her eyes.

Two-Bit frowned. "Really?" he asked. He thought he'd been pretty convincing that dinner had no longer been part of his plan.

"I know my boy," she insisted happily. She put her arm around him and steered him into the kitchen. "Come, come. We just sat down to eat."

Rick and Liz were already seated at the kitchen table. Rick stood up when Two-Bit walked in.

"Good to see you, Two-Bit," he said. They exchanged a firm handshake over the table.

"You too, sir," Two-Bit said politely and then dropped into his chair beside Liz. His mom had already set a place for him.

"Thank god you're here," Liz whispered to him. "Mom couldn't stand that you were mad at her. It's all I've heard about for the past hour."

Two-Bit chuckled. "You can never stay mad at her for too long." He licked his lips as he stared at the delicious dinner his mother had prepared. "Especially when she cooks like this."

There were grilled chicken breasts, and mashed potatoes, and green beans, and rolls, and Jell-O, and noodle salad. Two-Bit didn't know where to start. He reached to grab the spoon for the potatoes, but his mother slapped him on the wrist. "We still have to say grace," she reminded him and then smiled at Rick.

Two-Bit and Liz rolled their eyes at each other. The very first time Rick had ever eaten with them, he suggested that they say grace. Two-Bit's mother had agreed, and even went on to say that the Mathews said grace before every meal. That, of course, was a lie.

So now, every time Rick was over for dinner, they said a blessing. Two-Bit thought it was hysterical. He wondered if Rick would ever figure out the truth.

The rest of dinner went smoothly. Liz told everyone about the movie she'd seen, and then Two-Bit and Rick teased her about her date with the boys. Rick announced that he'd been put on an important case – one that had been all over the news. He seemed very excited about it. Two-Bit's mother talked about how well both of her kids were doing in school. Two-Bit thought that was funny too, because Liz was the only brainiac in the family. Two-Bit wasn't doing well in school by a long shot, but he decided not to correct her. He was just glad the topic of Dallas Winston never came up. That is, until Rick left.

* * *

He was lying on top of his bed, reading the comics section of the newspaper when his mom knocked on the door. "Come in," he said.

"Hey hon," his mom said, poking her head in the door. She was holding a basket full of sheets. "Was that Winston boy in your bed at all today?"

"Yeah, Mom. I told you he was sick. He slept all day."

She exhaled loudly. "Well then we should change your sheets. Get up, kiddo. I don't want you gettin' sick too." She set the basket down on Two-Bit's desk. "It's about time we changed to the flannel sheets anyway, with winter approachin'."

Two-Bit hopped up and helped his mom strip the bed. He wondered how he should address the argument they'd had just hours before. "Mom, I owe you an apology—" he started slowly.

But Mrs. Mathews interrupted him. "Sweetheart, you don't have to apologize," she said. "We both said things we didn't mean. It's water under the bridge." She smiled at him. "But for what it's worth, I'm sorry too."

Two-Bit nodded and returned the smile. But there was still one thing that was bothering him. "Can I ask you a question, though?"

"Sure," she replied. She handed Two-Bit the flannel sheets and they began making the bed.

"Why _do_ you hate Dally so much?"

Mrs. Mathews sighed. "You know, after you left, I tried to figure that out." She chuckled slightly. "I guess the truth is, I don't really know." Then quieter she said: "Maybe it's because he reminds me of your father."

Two-Bit raised his eyebrows. "Dally?" He didn't remember much about his dad since he'd left when Two-Bit was really young. It was right after Liz was born when he took off.

Mrs. Mathews laughed at Two-Bit's puzzled reaction. "Yeah," she said and sat down on the half-made bed. "He was always getting in fights and into trouble with the cops when he was your age. And at the time, I liked that dangerous side to him. But he didn't have any goals. He just went along day-by-day, headed nowhere. And I was stupid enough to think I could change him." Her eyes had started to overflow, but no tears actually fell down her face.

Two-Bit sat down on the bed beside his mother. It all made sense now. She didn't want Dally around because she saw him as a lost cause; a reminder of how her hard efforts to keep her family together went to waste.

Mrs. Mathews patted Two-Bit's knee and smiled through her watery eyes. "But you know what?" she said. "I'm going to try and do better. There must be some good in that boy if you were so set on defending his character."

Two-Bit shrugged. "I guess you just have to look really close."

Mrs. Mathews laughed again and pulled her son in for a hug. She kissed the top of his head and then whispered. "I love you and I am proud of you."

And as Two-Bit's mind wandered while he tried to fall asleep that night, he understood that Sodapop was right. He was one of the lucky ones.


	9. Graveyard

"Two-Bit, you have a phone call."

Two-Bit opened his eyes to his mother standing over him. He squinted. "What?"

"You have a phone call. It's that strappin' boy, Darry Curtis." She pulled the covers off of him. "Get up, now. Don't keep him waiting."

Two-Bit glanced at the clock. It was only 9:35 in the morning. "Darry ought to know I sleep way later than this on Sunday mornings," he complained as he sat up in bed. "Why didn't you just tell him I was asleep?"

"He said it was important."

Two-Bit couldn't fathom what could be so important that he had to lose precious sleep over it. He grumbled all the way to the kitchen and picked up the phone lazily. "Curtis, you better have a good reason for wakin' me up, man."

"Dally left."

In his half-conscious state, Two-Bit had admittedly forgotten about Dallas Winston for the time being. But Darry's words quickly brought it all back. "What do you mean he left?"

"I mean he was gone when I woke up this morning," Darry answered.

Two-Bit's stomach dropped. "Well, how did it go last night? Was he okay?"

Darry let out a deep breath. "I dunno, Two-Bit," he said honestly. "He kept tryin' to play it off like he was alright. But he barely touched his food at dinner and he practically fell asleep takin' a shower. Soda and I nearly had to drag him to bed."

Two-Bit cursed under his breath. "Any idea where he went?"

"Yeah," Darry sighed. "It's why I'm callin' you. I think he might've gone to my parents' gravesite. I overheard him asking Johnny where the funeral was held last night…"

Two-Bit understood. The Curtises hadn't been to visit their parents' graves since the funeral. Darry had told Two-Bit that he didn't want to go back until his brothers were ready, and neither one of them had brought it up yet.

"Say no more, Darry. I'll go look for him." Two-Bit was suddenly very awake.

"Thanks," Darry said. The relief was evident in his voice. "Just make sure he's okay, Two-Bit. He ain't well and he's probably not thinkin' too clearly."

"Dallas Winston never thinks clearly," he pointed out, trying to lighten the mood, despite his own uneasiness. "Quit worryin', Darry. I'll take care of it."

With that, Two-Bit hung up the phone and threw on a pair of jeans and a jacket. "Mom, I'm goin' out!" he called, and grabbed his keys.

* * *

The drive to the cemetery was about ten minutes. Two-Bit hoped Dally at least had enough sense to take the bus instead of walking all that way. But then again, Two-Bit wasn't even sure that Dally would be there. But where else would he have gone? Buck's? Sylvia's?

Mr. and Mrs. Curtis were buried side-by-side at the Laurel View Cemetery. It was your average cemetery, but now that the leaves had started to change color, it literally took Two-Bit's breath away as he pulled over and parked the car.

He did his best to remember the spot where Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had been buried. The graveyard looked a lot different than it had the day of the funeral. So many people had attended, and Two-Bit attributed that to how simply wonderful the Curtis parents had been. They'd had a positive influence on anyone they met. But today, the graveyard was practically deserted. That is, except for the hoodlum sitting against a tree in the distance.

Two-Bit approached him carefully, hands jammed in his pockets. Dally saw him coming and gave him a slight nod. His face was expressionless. He was still only wearing jeans and the T-shirt Two-Bit had given to him.

"Dally, what the heck's wrong with you?" Two-Bit scolded. "It near freezing out here. It's no wonder you're sick!"

Dally didn't say anything. He kept staring forward.

Two-Bit dropped down beside him. "How long have you been out here?" he asked. He put his hand on Dally's forehead. It didn't feel warm, but Two-Bit realized that could just be because Dally had been sitting out in the cold for too long.

Dally shrugged. "Dunno," he answered.

Two-Bit took off his jacket and put it over Dally's shoulders.

"I don't need your fucking coat, Mathews," Dally spat.

"Take it," Two-Bit said firmly.

"I said I don't want it!" Dally shouted. He chucked the jacket back at Two-Bit. "Quit treating me like a fuckin' charity case, Mathews. I don't need your help."

Two-Bit calmly put his jacket back on, even though he felt like crying. He really did. "You do too need my help," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm worried about you, Dal. The boys are worried."

Dally locked his jaw and pulled his legs up to his chest. He was quiet for a long while, staring out into the graveyard. "Why are you even here, Two-Bit? You should just go," he said finally.

"No," Two-Bit said stubbornly. "I'm takin' you back to the Curtis's."

Dally shook his head. "I ain't going back there."

"Then where do you think you're gonna stay?" Two-Bit asked desperately. "Jesus, Dally, what's going on with you?"

"It doesn't matter!" Dally growled. " _I_ don't matter. The sooner you get that through your skull, the better."

Two-Bit swallowed hard. Dally had heard people call him "good-for-nothing" and a "screw-up" all his life. But this was the first time Two-Bit had heard him say it about himself. And he didn't like it.

"Mrs. Curtis thought you mattered," Two-Bit said softly, nodding toward her tombstone.

"Yeah, well she ain't here anymore," Dally shot back.

"That doesn't change what she thought of you," Two-Bit told him, matter-of-factly. "And even if you don't believe me when I say you matter to the gang, you sure as hell better believe me when I say you matter to Johnny. Because you do, Dal. I know you know that."

Having no retort to that, Dally fell silent once again. He pulled out a cigarette and lit up. Two-Bit sat quietly beside him, unwilling to be the first one to speak again. So they sat in silence for a long while before Dally put out his cigarette and cleared his throat.

"Will you drive me to Buck's?" he asked finally.

Two-Bit nodded. "'Course," he said. He would much rather Dally go back to the Curtis's, but he didn't want to press his luck. He was just glad Dally was getting out of the cold. "Want to stop and get breakfast on the way?"

Dally shrugged. "I guess. As long as you're buyin'."

"Deal," Two-Bit said and stood up. He held his hand out to Dally and helped him stand up.

With one last look at Mr. and Mrs. Curtis's tombstones, Dally sighed heavily and then followed Two-Bit out of the cemetery. He wouldn't return there again.


	10. Buck's

"Hungry, Mathews?" Dally asked, raising his eyebrows, as the middle-aged waitress continued to put down all the food Two-Bit had ordered. He'd gotten scrambled eggs, and toast, and pancakes, and sausage, and bacon, and even a hamburger for later.

"Hey, I'm a growin' boy," Two-Bit said defensively. "I gotta take advantage of being able to eat whatever the hell I want for as long as I can."

They were at Denny's. Two-Bit's favorite place to go for breakfast. And it just so happened to be en route to Buck's.

The waitress set down the bowl of oatmeal that Dally had ordered. "You sure that's all you want to eat?" she asked him. "This other kiddo's putting you to shame."

"If I wanted more, I would've ordered it," Dally said coarsely. "Get lost, sweetheart."

The waitress looked more shocked than offended, but she still stormed off in a huff.

"Oh come on, Dally, did you have to be so rude?" Two-Bit complained. "Now I can't order a milkshake because she'd probably spit in it."

Dally grinned sheepishly. "'Course I had to be rude. Don't you know me at all?"

Two-Bit rolled his eyes. "Just eat your oatmeal, Winston," he said. He picked up his fork and started making a dent in his stack of pancakes.

In the time it took Two-Bit to finish his feast, it took the same amount of time for Dally to eat just half of his bowl of oatmeal. Two-Bit watched him carefully throughout the meal. Dally was really struggling to eat. Each bite he took seemed like it was in slow motion, and he had to rest and take deep breaths between each spoonful.

But Two-Bit didn't say anything. He knew Dally would just insist he was fine. Frankly, as long as he was eating (albeit just barely), Two-Bit was happy.

* * *

Buck Merril's place sure was deserted when Two-Bit and Dally walked in. Two-Bit didn't really expect any different. The place could get pretty rowdy at night, but on a Sunday morning, nobody had any business being there.

"Well, look who it is," Buck drawled, as he looked up to see who had walked in the door. He was standing at the bar, putting away the glasses from last night. Hank Williams was playing in the background. "If it ain't Dallas Winston and Two-Bit Mathews. Finally made it out of the cooler, eh Winston?"

"Don't I always?" Dally said smugly as he took a seat at the bar. Two-Bit joined him.

"We've missed you around here, man," Buck told Dally. "You ready to jockey next week?" He and Dally were rodeo partners. They jockeyed down at the Slash J. every so often. It's how Buck got his money – by fixing races.

Dally shook his head. "Nah, I'm out of practice, Merril. Give me a couple of weeks."

"Shoulda known," Buck said flatly. "I can always count on you to be a pussy."

Two-Bit had to laugh at that. Not many people could get away with calling Dallas Winston a pussy, but Buck was one that could. "He got you there, Winston," Two-Bit said.

"Yeah, yeah," Dally said, not caring. "You got any rooms available, Buck? I need a place to layover."

"Yeah, I think there's a couple still open," Buck answered as he returned to cleaning up the bar.

"Good," Dally said stood up. "I'm gonna go crash. Mathews, I'll catch you later." He nodded to Two-Bit and started to make his way to the stairs.

"Dal, wait," Two-Bit said. He hopped off his stool and pulled Dally over to the side so Buck couldn't hear. "You sure you're okay?" he asked lowly.

"Yeah, Two-Bit," Dally answered, sounding bored. "For the last time, you ain't got to worry about me."

Two-Bit looked at him uncertainly. "Okay," he said timidly. "Just take it easy, alright?"

Dally let out a genuine laugh. "I think you're forgettin' who you're talkin' to," he said. "Takin' it easy's in my blood." With that, Dally cordially punched Two-Bit in the shoulder and then trudged up the stairs.

Two-Bit booked it out of Buck's place once Dally had disappeared up the stairs. There was only so much of Hank Williams he could stand while he was sober.

As he got back into his car, Two-Bit wondered what he should do with the rest of his day. He went over his options. He could do his homework (he made himself laugh at that one). He could swing by the DX. Steve and Soda would be working today. Or he could go see what Ponyboy and Johnny were up to. He knew Darry would be a bump on a log. He was always so tired from his roofing job and Sunday's were his only day off. Maybe Two-Bit could offer to take Pony and Johnny to the movies and give Darry some peace and quiet for a change.

Two-Bit decided to swing by the Curtis's and see if Pony and Johnny would be up for a movie. He'd been wanting to see _Thunderball,_ and he knew Ponyboy was really into the James Bond films. Hell, most people were. Sean Connery as Bond was just about all anyone could talk about. He just hoped Ponyboy hadn't already seen it on his own.


	11. Shepard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to give you a heads-up about some things that go on in this chapter because it gets pretty heavy. There is mention of sexual abuse (not graphic) and there is also quite a bit of swearing (due to Tim Shepard making an appearance). So proceed with caution! As always, thank you for reading and for your support.

"Who wants to go see Thunderball?" Two-Bit hollered as he stepped into the Curtis's house. The living room was empty, but he heard voices coming from the kitchen.

"Two-Bit, is that you?" Darry called back. "Did you find Winston?"

"Yeah I found him," Two-Bit said, appearing in the doorway of the kitchen. Ponyboy and Johnny were seated around the table, finishing up breakfast. Darry was reading the newspaper. "He was right where you thought he'd be."

"Where'd you think he'd be?" Ponyboy asked Darry, as Two-Bit stuck his left-over hamburger from Denny's in the Curtis's fridge.

Darry set his newspaper down and shot a nervous glance at Two-Bit, clearly debating if he should tell Ponyboy about Dally's trip to the cemetery. "Dally went to Mom and Dad's gravesite this morning," he told Pony gently. "He's pretty torn up about missin' the funeral."

"Oh," Ponyboy said, and stared down at his plate. He always got real quiet and despondent whenever his parents were mentioned, which is why Darry was hesitant to tell him the truth.

"Where's Dal now?" Johnny asked.

"I dropped him off at Buck's. I think he just wanted to be on his own for a bit," Two-Bit told him. "He's still pretty beat."

Darry stood up and started clearing the table. "I really hope he's alright," he commented. "It's weird seein' him so out of it."

There were some nods in agreement, but no one else had anything to say about that.

Two-Bit clapped his hands together to break the silence. "So… Thunderball?" he asked again. "Who's with me?"

"I'll go," Ponyboy said, without missing a beat. "That's okay, right Darry?"

"Yeah, as long as your homework's finished."

"It is. You're comin' too, right Johnny?" Ponyboy asked. He grabbed for the newspaper so he could look up show times. Two-Bit was glad he actually seemed excited about something for a change.

Johnny shrugged. "Sure, I ain't got anything better to do."

"Superman, you can come too, you know," Two-Bit told him.

Darry chuckled. "I know, but I think I'll just take it easy here."

"There's a showing at noon," Ponyboy announced. "Let's go to that one. Maybe we can stop by the DX and see Soda on the way."

"Sounds like a plan, kid," Two-Bit said. "Go get ready, guys."

Ponyboy hurried out of the kitchen. "Thanks for breakfast, Darry," Johnny said shyly, before following Pony out of the room.

"Anytime, Johnny," Darry called after him. He turned off the water from the faucet and turned to face Two-Bit. Once he was sure Pony and Johnny were out of earshot, he asked softly: "How was it being back there?"

Two-Bit shrugged, and then he smiled, remembering how he'd had his breath taken away as he pulled up to the cemetery. "It was pretty," he said honestly. "With the leaves changin' and everything. I think you ought to take Pony and Soda there real soon, Dar. I think it'd be good for them."

Darry nodded. "And Dally? How was he?"

Two-Bit sighed. "He was… well, he was Dally." He paused. "I think he misses your mom a whole lot."

"Yeah, he ain't the only one," Darry said solemnly. He was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. But he quickly snapped out of it and cleared his throat gruffly. "Thanks for taking Pony and Johnny to the movies, Two-Bit. I have a lot to get done around here. The social worker's comin' on Tuesday to check up on us."

"Darry, don't get too stressed about that," Two-Bit told him. "You're doing a great job with Ponyboy and Soda. They ain't gonna put them in a boys' home. They got no reason to."

"I hope you're right," Darry said and then smiled slightly. "Thanks Two-Bit."

"Don't mention it." Two-Bit checked his watch. They'd have to get going if they wanted to stop by the DX. "Ponyboy! Johnnycake!" he hollered. "Are you slowpokes ready?"

Ponyboy and Johnny appeared in the doorway moments later, hair greased perfectly.

"Oh, now I know what was taking so long," Two-Bit joked as he messed up each of their hair simultaneously and then bolted out the door, cackling to himself. Both Pony and Johnny yelled "Hey!" and quickly fixed their hair before taking off out the door after him. "We'll see you later, Superman!" Two-Bit called before the door slammed shut behind them.

Later that evening, Two-Bit stepped into Buck's with high spirits. The movie had been just as good as all the hype, and most importantly, Ponyboy had loved it. It was good to see a smile on his face again. When the movie was over, Two-Bit went home, and after eating his leftover hamburger, he took a long Sunday afternoon nap. Now he was feeling refreshed and ready to make some trouble. He was planning on checking up on Dally and then he figured he'd have a beer or two since he was there. After the weekend he'd had, he sure felt like he deserved it.

There was a decent amount of people in the bar for a Sunday night, but Buck's did have the best booze in town for the best price. Two-Bit scanned the room looking for Dally. He didn't see him at first and Two-Bit figured he was just holed up in the room upstairs. But then he saw him, and his stomach dropped. Dally was standing by the stairwell, cornered by none other than Tim Shepard.

Tim Shepard was just plain old mean looking. He was a burly boy who always wore a scowl on his face. His jet-black hair was always greased back and his sleeves were always rolled up. He would fight anyone at any time. He and Dally were alike that way. So whenever he and Dally were in close proximity to each other, Two-Bit automatically assumed there was trouble.

He took a couple steps closer, relieved that Shepard and Dally just seemed to be exchanging words. For now, anyway. Two-Bit took a seat at the bar. He did his best to eavesdrop, but couldn't hear a damn thing over the blaring Hank Williams. "Hey Merril, grab me a beer, will ya?" Two-Bit said over the ruckus.

"Sure thing, Mathews," Buck said. He returned moments later, beer in hand. "You lookin' for Winston?" he asked, nodding in Dally's direction as he handed Two-Bit the bottle of beer.

"Yeah. I saw him," Two-Bit said. He took a big gulp of his beer. "You know what he and Shepard are talkin' about?"

"Not a clue. You missed it though, Two-Bit. That little broad, Sylvia, poured her drink all over Winston right before you came."

"Aw, get outta here!" Two-Bit said. He would've liked to see that. "What'd she do that for?"

"From what I gathered, she was trying to get Winston in the sack and he told her to get lost. Called her a slut too." Buck laughed, shaking his head. "Anyway, Shepard swooped in and seemed to calm Winston down. I ain't complainin'. It's sure better than them throwin' punches at each other."

Two-Bit swiveled on his bar stool so he could see Dally clearly. Shepard seemed to be interrogating him and was listening intently to whatever Dally answered with. Dally didn't seem to like the conversation through. He looked upset, maybe even a little frightened. It turns out that Buck had spoken too soon about Dally being "calm," because out of nowhere, he shoved Tim.

Two-Bit jumped up, expecting Tim to retaliate, but he didn't. He even took a step back to give Dally some space. Dally remained still for a moment, looking stunned. But then he turned and ran up the stairs. As Two-Bit approached Tim, he could hear him calling after Dally, begging for him to come back.

"What did you say to him, Shepard?" Two-Bit demanded.

Tim whirled around to face him. He looked upset. Not mad, just upset. "Mathews," he acknowledged. He actually looked a little relieved to see Two-Bit. He grabbed Two-Bit by the arm and pulled him to the door. "I gotta talk to you." He pushed Two-Bit out into the cold autumn air.

Once outside, Tim fumbled around in his pockets for a cigarette and then he started pacing.

"What happened in there?" Two-Bit asked, standing still while Tim paced back and forth in front of him. "What's goin' on with you, Shepard?"

Tim stopped in his tracks and turned to face Two-Bit. He let out a deep breath and hesitated. "I think the bull queers got Winston," he said finally.

"The bull queers…?" At first, Two-Bit didn't know what Shepard was talking about. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it. But the realization slowly dawned on him. A "bull queer" was the name given to prison inmates who forced sex upon other inmates for the sheer purpose of seeing their victim struggle.

Tim nodded slowly once he was sure Two-Bit knew what he was talking about. "It ain't good, Mathews. They mess you up real bad. They almost got me once." Two-Bit saw Tim visibly shudder at the memory.

Two-Bit was finding it hard to breathe. "But how do you know Dally…?"

"My buddy got out of the cooler 'bout a week ago," Tim told him. "Said he saw an attack go down. A tow-headed fellow. I didn't think much of it 'till I saw Winston tonight." He took a long drag on his cigarette.

"What did Dally say?" Two-Bit demanded. "When you asked him."

"He denied everything," Tim said. "That fucking pride of his." He let out a string of curse words. "But Mathews, I ain't never been so sure of anything in my life. They got him. It's fucking messed up and it ain't fair, but they got him." Tim's hands were shaking. Two-Bit wasn't sure if he'd ever seen anyone look as disgusted and appalled as Tim Shepard did right then.

Two-Bit felt like he could throw up. He was disgusted and appalled himself. The scary part was that he believed Tim. He knew he was right. This is what had happened.

"Go talk to him," Tim said. "He ain't gonna talk to me, and I get that. But someone's got to get through to him. If this breaks Winston, then there's no fuckin' hope for rest of us, is there?"

Two-Bit swallowed hard at the truth of Shepard's words. He suddenly realized that, after all this time, Tim actually respected Dallas Winston. "Yeah, Tim, I'll go talk to him," Two-Bit assured him.

Tim stomped his cigarette out on the ground. "It's a fuckin' messed up world we live in, ain't it, Mathews?" he said. "I'm out of here." He turned on his heel and started his walk home, leaving Two-Bit in front of Buck's, shaking in his shoes and not having the slightest notion of what to do


	12. Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter requires the same warnings as the previous chapter (sexual abuse content and swearing). I urge you to proceed with caution. Thank you.

Two-Bit stepped back into Buck's in a daze. He headed straight for his seat at the bar and collapsed into it. He had to get his bearings before he confronted Dally. He laid his head down and tried to block out the garbage Hank Williams. Didn't Buck ever play anything else?

Two-Bit sat there for a while, going over the conversation he'd had with Shepard. Tim's words echoed in his head over and over.  _He saw an attack go down. A tow-headed fellow_. He could be wrong, Two-Bit thought desperately. Maybe it wasn't Dally. But he knew deep down that it was. It made sense. It explained the bruises, the jumpiness, why Dally was so sick and exhausted.

Two-Bit was furious. He was mad at the people who had done this to Dally. Hell, he was mad at Dally for not telling him what was wrong. But above all, he was mad at himself, for not realizing the enormity of it all.

Suddenly, Two-Bit was on his feet and running up the stairs. He pounded on the door to the room Dally had claimed as his. "Winston, you better open up," he yelled over the racket. "I mean it. We gotta talk."

"It's open," came Dally's voice from beyond the door.

Two-Bit frowned as he turned the doorknob. "Oh," he said as he stepped into the room. After hearing Dally's voice, he reminded himself that he had to try his best to keep calm. He closed the door gently behind him.

Dally was sitting on the bed, smoking a cigarette, and flicking his lighter on and off. "What do you want, Mathews?"

Two-Bit didn't waste any time. "Why didn't you tell me?" he wondered desperately. "Why didn't you tell me that you... that you were..." Two-Bit trailed off, unable to complete the question.

But Dally knew what he was asking. His head shot up, face flushed red. "Who've you been talkin' to?" he growled, putting his cigarette out in the ashtray on the nightstand. He stood up furiously. His eyes were panicked.

Two-Bit hesitated. "Shepard," he said softly.

Dally swore and tried to push past Two-Bit to the door. "I swear to god, I'm gonna kill that sonuvabitch—"

"He left, Dal," Two-Bit said and roughly forced him back onto the bed. "He's gone. And you ain't leavin'."

Dally sat on the bed, his shoulders hunched forward. He took a couple of deep breaths, then rested his elbows on his knees and let his head drop into his hands. He let out a string of curse words. "Y-You ain't supposed to know about t-this, Two-Bit," he said, and he was shaking. "You just ain't."

Two-Bit's knees felt weak. "So it's true?" he breathed. He felt sick, like he was going to fall flat on his face.

Dally chucked his lighter across the room. It slammed hard against the wall and then fell to the floor with a heavy clank. When he lifted his head up to look at Two-Bit, he had tears streaming down his face and a look of pure despondency in his eyes. "Yeah, it's true," he said flatly. He quickly wiped his tears on his sleeve.

Two-Bit had to steady himself by leaning on the dresser. "Dal…" He didn't know what to say. "Y-You should have told me."

"Bullshit!" Dally shouted at him, his dejected eyes now flashing with anger. He stood up and pointed his finger at Two-Bit. "Don't tell me you want to hear that shit, Mathews."

Two-Bit faltered and took a step back. "Of course I don't want to hear it, Dally," he said, his voice wavering. "But you ain't got to handle this on your own."

Dally dropped his arm and bent over to put his hands on his knees. He was trying to control the sobs that were building up in his chest. "Yes, I do," he choked out.

"Why?" Two-Bit demanded, a little more harshly than he had intended.

Dally straightened up and brought his hands to his head. His arms were shaking uncontrollably from his attempt to stop crying. "T-Two-Bit, I can't do this r-right now," he breathed. All the color had drained from his face and he looked lost. He was swaying slightly on his feet. "Please. I c-can't."

"Okay," Two-Bit said gently. Dally looked really ill all of a sudden, but then again, that's how he always looked these days. "Why don't you sit back down?" Two-Bit felt like he was talking to a small child. His voice was high-pitched and he didn't sound like himself at all. He couldn't stand seeing Dally like this. He didn't know what to do.

Dally took Two-Bit's advice and unevenly sat back down on the bed. His efforts to stop crying had no prevail and he buried his head in his hands out of humiliation. Two-Bit cautiously took a seat beside him.

Without warning, Dally turned his head into Two-Bit's shoulder. It caught Two-Bit by surprise and he hesitated before wrapping his arms around Dally's thin body in an embrace. He didn't speak; he just let Dally cry.

Two-Bit wasn't sure how long they sat there. All he knew was that it wasn't fair. Any of it. It wasn't fair that this happened to Dally. It wasn't fair that Mr. and Mrs. Curtis died. It wasn't fair that Johnny's old man beat him halfway to the curb every night. Why did it seem like the Universe had it out for greasers? It made Two-Bit's blood boil.

"God, I'm so fuckin' pathetic," Dally said hoarsely, after he'd calmed down. He pulled away from Two-Bit and started wringing his hands.

"No," Two-Bit said, shaking his head, his eyes wide. "Don't think that for a second, Dal."

Dally hung his head, obviously not taking what Two-Bit was saying with much conviction.

"Dally, look at me," Two-Bit said. He didn't speak again until Dally had lifted his head to look at him. "You're going to be okay. The gang'll get you through this. And I swear, if we ever come across those bastards that did this shit to you—"

"No one else can know about this," Dally interrupted, and his voice was downright threatening. He almost sounded like the Dallas Winston Two-Bit knew. "I swear to god Two-Bit, if you tell anyone about this – especially the gang, I'll beat your head in."

Two-Bit swallowed hard. He knew that Dally meant every word that he said, but he still felt brave enough to protest.

"This ain't somethin' I want people to know," Dally added harshly, before Two-Bit even had the chance to speak.

Two-Bit understood that, but he was terrified of being the only one who knew about this, other than Shepard, that is. He felt useless. "But Dal, you need help," he said quietly. "And I don't know how to help you."

"I don't need help," Dally insisted firmly.

"Like hell you don't!" Two-Bit exclaimed. "Jesus, Dally, just look at yourself! You're exhausted and you can barely eat. Don't try to tell me you got it under control, 'cause that's a load of bullshit."

"What do you want from me, Mathews?" Dally asked bitterly. "I'm doing the best I can."

"I know you are, Dal," Two-Bit sighed. He let his head fall into his hands. He felt dizzy. This was all too much. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Dally."

Dally didn't respond, but his eyes had started to overflow with tears again. He stood up and started putting on his shoes.

"What are you doing?" Two-Bit asked gently.

"I told you, I can't do this right now," Dally said. "I need some fresh air." He reached for the doorknob.

Two-Bit stood up, ready to go with him.

"Mathews, don't follow me," Dally breathed desperately. "Please."

"But Dally—"

"Look, I ain't gonna do anything stupid," Dally said. "I swear. I just need to get out. Please."

Two-Bit swallowed hard. "Okay," he said timidly. "But… take my jacket, alright?" He quickly took it off and held it out to Dally.

Dally nodded and put it on. He lifted his head and met Two-Bit's eyes, biting his lip. Then he put his head back down and walked out the door, leaving Two-Bit standing in the empty room, feeling more alone than he'd ever felt.


	13. Jumped

Two-Bit was back downstairs at the bar, waiting for Dally's return. Most of the crowd had filtered out. There were only a couple of washed-out drunks that remained.

"Want another beer, Mathews?" Buck asked, waving a bottle in Two-Bit's face.

Two-Bit lifted his head. "Do I ever," he mumbled. He'd do anything to get himself to relax. All he felt like doing was drinking until he had no memory of the night. He wanted to go back to not knowing.

Buck handed him the beer and Two-Bit downed it in less than two minutes.

"Lordy, Two-Bit, pace yourself will ya?" Buck said.

"Shut up you filthy cowboy, and give me another one," Two-Bit droned.

Buck chuckled as he handed Two-Bit his next drink. "Sassy tonight, are we?"

The last thing Two-Bit wanted to do was carry on a conversation with Buck Merril. So he picked up his beer and made a beeline for the front door, refusing to dignify Buck's comment with an answer.

* * *

Two-Bit dropped down onto the front steps. He should've been cold without his jacket, but he wasn't. He was too numb to feel much of anything. _Come on Dally, where are you?_ He wondered. He hoped he had just gone for a walk around the block.

Two-Bit focused on flipping his bottle cap instead of thinking about what he'd learned about Dally. Every time he thought about it, his stomach dropped into his toes. So he didn't think. He just cleared his mind.

But Two-Bit didn't need to use his bottle cap to distract him for long, because moments later he heard shouts coming from behind Buck's. Someone was shouting, "Greaser!" and that could only mean one thing: Socs were here.

_As if this night couldn't get any worse_ , Two-Bit thought as he grabbed his beer bottle and sprinted to the back of the building. He knew Dally was the target. There was no question in his mind. __  
  
Two-Bit could make out four Socs huddled beside the dumpster behind Buck's. He could tell they were Socs because they were all wearing their ridiculous flood pants. There was another body at their feet, looking limp and lifeless. It was a tow-headed fellow…

Two-Bit started seeing red. He busted his beer bottle against the side of the building, and ran at them full force, holding the jagged edge out in front of him like a switch. "Hey!" he shouted, to get them to stop kicking Dally and to focus their attention on him. "You girls better beat it. I'll cut every last one of you up, I swear to god."

Two-Bit couldn't believe it when the Socs scattered. He didn't think his threat would work since he and Dally were so outnumbered. But then he realized that Buck and a couple of the Brumly gang had emerged from the back door and were heading their way. They chased the Socs away while Two-Bit tended to Dally.

Since it was dark, it was hard to tell the condition Dally was in. He was at least conscious. Two-Bit could hear him groaning in pain. "Dal, you alright man?" He squatted down in front of him and carefully helped him sit up so he could lean against the dumpster.

Dally didn't answer him. In the dim light, Two-Bit could tell he was shaking.

"What happened?" Two-Bit asked. "Talk to me, Winston."

"I got jumped," Dally said flatly, and then he let out a string of curse words.

"Did you see who they were?"

Dally shook his head. "I didn't know any of 'em." He swallowed hard. "They knew who I was though." Two-Bit had never seen Dally so shaken up. Those Socs had scared him bad. He couldn't stop trembling.

Dally struggled to stand up. Two-Bit knew better than to try and help him. "Dal…?" he said slowly. Dally was bent over and had his hands on his knees. "You okay?"

Dally didn't answer. He couldn't. Because seconds later, he was throwing up onto the pavement.

Two-Bit jumped up in surprise. "Shit, Dally," he breathed, carefully putting his hand on Dally's back. "You're in real bad shape."

Once Dally had stopped gagging, he straightened up and wiped his mouth with his hand. He continued to swear under his breath.

Two-Bit didn't think twice. "You're coming home with me," he told Dally bluntly. He didn't care what his mom had to say about it. There was no way Two-Bit was letting Dally out of his sight tonight.

Dally was too beat up to protest. He allowed Two-Bit to walk him to his car that was parked on the street beside Buck's. As Two-Bit was helping Dally get into the passenger seat, Buck came running up to meet them.

"Is he alright, Mathews?" he asked. "It looked like those Socs gave him a helluva beating."

"I'm fine, Merril," Dally growled from the passenger seat.

"Yeah, he'll be okay," Two-Bit said as he closed the door. "Thanks for backing us up, Buck."

Buck chuckled. "You know I'll always jump on the chance to beat up on some Socs," he said. "You guys take care now, you hear?" He tipped his hat and headed back inside.

* * *

On the drive home, Dally didn't say a word. He just leaned his head up against the window and closed his eyes. Two-Bit talked the whole way though. He couldn't stand the silence. Mostly he just ripped on the Socs' preposterous outfits. It was all just nervous gibberish.

When they arrived home, Two-Bit parked the car and went around the other side to open it for Dally. He could see Dally's face clearly from the light from the porch. He noticed a gash on the right side of Dally's forehead that he hadn't seen before. Two-Bit cursed under his breath, and pulled Dally out of the car.

"Your mom ain't gonna let me stay," Dally mumbled as he and Two-Bit walked up the steps.

"We'll see about that," Two-Bit said. "Just let me do the talking."

Two-Bit stepped into his house first with Dally behind him. Liz must've already been in bed. His mom and Rick were on the couch watching the TV. Both of their jaws dropped as they laid eyes on Winston.

"Dally's staying here tonight," Two-Bit said. He was trying to make his voice firm, but it came out wobbly and uneven. "He's staying here."

Rick looked to Mrs. Mathews, who nodded her head slowly, before he stood up to take action. "You okay, kid?" he asked Dally gently. When Dally nodded, Rick looked at Two-Bit. "What happened?"

"He got jumped," Two-Bit answered. "He'll be okay, he just needs to be patched up…"

"I'll take care of it," Rick said. "Come with me, son." Rick took Dally by the arm and led him to the bathroom, leaving Two-Bit and his mother staring at each other.

Mrs. Mathews patted the seat next to her. "You okay?" she asked softly. "You ain't hurt are you?"

Two-Bit shook his head as he sat down beside her. "No, they only got Dally," he answered. He leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands. He wanted so badly to hold it together, but it was a losing battle. He started to cry.

"Hon, what's the matter?" Mrs. Mathews asked, pushing the hair out of Two-Bit's eyes.

Two-Bit took in a shuddering breath and straightened up to face his mother. He wished he could stop the damn tears from overflowing from his eyes. "I'm sorry for bringing him here," he told her, and then he hung his head. "I know he makes you feel uncomfortable. It's just… he ain't well right now, and he has nowhere else to go…"

His mom pulled him in for a hug. "I told you I was going to try to do better, didn't I?" she asked. "For whatever reason, this boy is important to you. You've made that clear." She let out a deep breath. "He can stay here until he's well again."

Two-Bit pulled away from her and wiped his eyes. "You mean it?" he asked.

She nodded. "But only until he's well. You know we can't afford—"

"I know," Two-Bit interrupted her quickly. He looked down at his hands. "Thanks."

His mom smiled at him. "Go see if Rick needs any help," she told him. "And then get to bed. You have school in the morning." She stood up. "I'll set the boy up on the couch."

Two-Bit didn't bother telling her that it'd be him who was sleeping on the couch. He was just relieved that Dally was finally welcome in his home. And after tonight, Two-Bit was convinced that things could only get better.


	14. Broken

When Two-Bit headed to the bathroom to see if Rick needed any help with Dally, he found it empty. He turned and noticed his bedroom door was closed. Just as he approached it, Rick emerged from the room and closed the door behind him.

"He's getting changed," Rick told Two-Bit. "Just give him a minute or two."

"Okay," Two-Bit said. "You patched him up pretty quick."

Rick nodded. "He was more bruised then sliced," he said. "Except for that cut on his head. I just cleaned it up and put a bandage on it. It didn't take long at all."

"Well, thanks for doin' that," Two-Bit said. "I appreciate it."

"It wasn't a problem," Rick said. He started to head to Mrs. Mathews bedroom, but then he stopped and turned around. "You're okay, aren't you, kid?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Two-Bit said quickly. It was only half-true. He was better than Dally, that's for sure. But he felt drained. Emotionally and physically. But even with how he was feeling, he knew Dally's pain was a thousand times worse.

Rick tilted his head at him and studied his face. "Okay," he said slowly. "Just get the Winston kid settled, and then head to bed yourself. You look beat."

Two-Bit nodded. "I will," he promised. "G'night Rick."

"'Night champ."

* * *

After waiting in the hallway for a couple of minutes, Two-Bit knocked on the door to his bedroom and then opened it slowly. Dally was sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. "Can I come in?"

Dally shrugged without looking up. Two-Bit stepped in to his room and sat down beside him on the bed.

Two-Bit didn't say a word. He was hoping Dally would be the first one to speak.

"I fuckin' hate Socs," Dally said lowly after a couple of moments. He lifted his freshly bandaged head to look at Two-Bit. If Two-Bit hadn't been so worried about him, he would've made fun of him for it. Those bandages didn't exactly make him look tough.

Two-Bit nodded. "Me too," he said. He cleared his throat and looked down at his hands. He wasn't sure what else to say, but he couldn't just ignore everything that had happened tonight. "Are you okay, Dally?"

"I will be, once we stomp all over those assholes," he growled.

"I ain't talking about what the Socs did to you," Two-Bit told him softly.

Dally sighed heavily. "Yeah, I know you're not." He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "But what's the point of asking if you already know the answer?"

Two-Bit was at a loss for words. Dally had a point. Two-Bit already knew Dally wasn't okay. How could he be? And even if he admitted he wasn't okay and needed help, then what? How would Two-Bit help him? He wasn't cut out for this. He could barely handle his own life, let alone the life of a hood who'd seen and dealt with more shit than anyone should ever see or have to put up with.

Dally spoke again and his voice was hollow: "I wish I could just erase these past two months," he said brokenly. "Because honestly, Two-Bit, I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Two-Bit swallowed hard. He didn't like hearing Dally talk like that. Two-Bit knew he had to say something, but he wasn't really one to lecture. He was quiet for a moment, trying to formulate the right words to say. "Listen Dal, I'm gonna make this real short because I know you ain't feelin' well and you probably just want to go to sleep," he said finally. "But you have to realize that I'm not going to let you give up. You're a fighter and I will not stand by and watch you go down without a fight. You understand me?"

Dally nodded, but Two-Bit could tell he wasn't really hearing him.

"Look, my mom says you can stay here until you're well," Two-Bit continued. "So you ain't gotta worry about having a place to stay, okay? I told you man, you ain't gotta handle this on your own."

"But it ain't fair to you, Mathews," Dally said, frustration evident in his voice. "You shouldn't have to be the one to put up with my shit."

Two-Bit started to laugh. It was a sincere laugh, and Two-Bit was horrified at himself for laughing at a time like this. But he couldn't help it. "Shoot, Dally, I've been putting up with your shit for as long as I've known you. What makes you think I'm gonna stop now?"

Dally managed to give him a half-hearted smile. "You know you're out of your mind, right?"

"Oh believe me, I know it," Two-Bit assured him. He stood up and helped Dally get under the covers. "You feelin' okay?" He put the back of his hand to Dally's forehead, comforted by the fact that he didn't feel feverish.

Dally nodded. "Just tired," he mumbled.

"Then get some rest," Two-Bit told him. He nodded to the glass of water Rick had put on the nightstand. "And try to drink some water if you can."

"'Kay," Dally said as his eyes began to droop.

Two-Bit didn't say any more. He quietly made his way out of the room and he was certain the hood in his bed was asleep before he'd even turned out the light and closed the door.


	15. Real

It took forever for Two-Bit to fall asleep that night, mostly because he was so angry. He was angry about Socs, and bull queers, and abusive parents, and car accidents, and boys that were making his little sister grow up too fast. The list went on and on.

Eventually, after what felt like hours of trying, Two-Bit managed to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep, only to be awoken a couple of hours later.

There was a dim light coming from the bathroom. Muffled voices echoed down the hall. Two-Bit sat up on the couch and rubbed his eyes before kicking off his sheets and lazily wandering down the hall to check it out.

Two-Bit approached the open bathroom door cautiously. Dally was leaned up against the bathroom wall, opposite the toilet. He was a ghostly shade of pale. Rick was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, holding a glass of water out in front of him.

"You need to drink, Dallas," Rick said quietly. He met Two-Bit's gaze as Dally reluctantly took the cup from him.

"Everything okay?" Two-Bit asked lamely. Of course it wasn't. Dally was ill and miserable again.

"Your friend isn't feeling too great," Rick answered, stating the obvious. "But I think the worst of it's over, don't you, kid?" Rick patted Dally on the shoulder and he nodded.

"I'm okay, Mathews," Dally said weakly. "Go back to bed."

Two-Bit hesitated. He was awfully tired and sleep was calling out to him, but he felt bad leaving Rick to take care of Dally. He felt like Dally was his responsibility.

But Rick agreed. "I've got it covered, Two-Bit," he said. "Try to get some more sleep. You've got to get up for school in a couple of hours."

So Two-Bit told Dally to feel better and then went out to the living room and tried to fall back asleep. But it was no use. Instead, he flipped on the light and started reading _The Incredible Hulk_ comic book he'd swiped a couple days earlier.

He couldn't really focus on it though. He just stared at the pages until Rick had taken Dally back to the bedroom. He emerged a couple of minutes later, closing the door softly behind him. Rick noticed Two-Bit was still awake and made his way out to living room.

"Is he okay?" Two-Bit asked him when he appeared in the doorway. He set his comic book down on the table.

Rick nodded. "Yeah, he'll be fine. He was just feeling a little dizzy is all."

"I'm sorry he woke you up," Two-Bit said.

"It's not your fault, kid," Rick said, chuckling lightly. He sat down on the couch beside Two-Bit. "I think he was havin' a bad dream," Rick continued. "He was hollerin' in his sleep. I'm surprised I'm the only one who heard him. Anyway, I went and woke him up and tried to get him to calm down…" he trailed off and gave Two-Bit a quizzical look. "That boy's been through hell, hasn't he?"

Two-Bit nodded. "You don't know the half of it," he said under his breath.

"Tell me about him," Rick said. "What's his story?"

Two-Bit looked down at his hands. What was Dallas Winston's story? If Two-Bit were to tell Rick everything he knew about Dally, he knew Rick would write him off as a good-for-nothing hood, just like everyone else did. So, instead, Two-Bit told Rick why he respected him.

"Dal's been through more shit than anyone should ever have to put up with," Two-Bit told him. "But he's never asked for pity. He's a different breed, Dally is. He's real."

"What's he had to put up with?" Rick pressed on.

Two-Bit shrugged. "His parents don't give a hang about him," he said. "And he spent three years in New York fending for himself. He's got stories about New York that'd make your skin crawl, Rick."

Rick nodded. "I believe that." He let out a deep breath. "And what about now? What's got him so out of sorts now?"

Two-Bit swallowed hard. He knew he couldn't say. Dally would rip him limb from limb if he told Rick about what had happened to him in jail. "I'm not sure," he lied, tears pricking the back of his eyes. "But I know it ain't good."

It was obvious that Rick knew Two-Bit wasn't telling him the whole truth, but he stopped pressing for details. He sighed and stood up. "Everything'll work out, kid," he said, before he retired back to Mrs. Mathews's bedroom. "We'll get him back on his feet."

Two-Bit wanted so badly to believe him, but he was starting to lose hope. How could someone recover from this? Especially someone who'd had to stay tough his entire life? There's only so much one person could take.

What if this was Dallas Winston's breaking point?


	16. Worry

Two-Bit walked down the hallway to the lunchroom in a daze. He hadn't been able to pay attention in class. Not that he ever did, but normally he had enough energy to clown around a bit. Today he didn't speak. And he tried his hardest not to think.

Three days. That's how long Dally had been back. That's how long it had taken for Two-Bit's world to get flipped upside down, just when things were starting to feel normal again.

Dally had already been up when Two-Bit woke for school. Everyone else was up early too. Rick made some toast for Dally, that Dally had managed to eat. That eased Two-Bit's mind slightly. Rick offered to cook Two-Bit up some eggs, but Two-Bit shook his head no. He wasn't feeling very hungry.

His mom had told Two-Bit he could stay home to keep an eye on Dally. But the truth was, he wanted to get away. He wasn't mad at Dally; he was just frustrated. With everything.

So he went to school, despite knowing that Dally would be by himself for most of the day. But he convinced himself that was okay. Dally didn't like empathy anyway. School was routine. And that's what Two-Bit needed.  
 _  
_ _"I can't believe the rat is back," Liz mumbled in the car on the way to school. "I don't know how you pulled that one off, Two-Bit."_

_Two-Bit sighed. "Just be nice to him, alright?" he said dryly. "He might stay a while."_

_Liz looked at him curiously. "He didn't look good," she commented softly._

_"I know, Liz," Two-Bit snapped. "Drop it, okay?" He didn't want to talk about Dally. He knew Liz was just trying to make small talk and break the silence. Hell, maybe she was even a little worried about the guy. But Two-Bit couldn't handle talking about him. He could barely handle thinking about him._

_Liz looked taken aback. "Okay, sheesh," she said defensively. "Loosen up, Two-Bit."_

_Two-Bit raised his eyebrows. Never, in all his life, had he been told to "loosen up." He pulled into the school parking lot and parked the car._

_"I'm going to Carol's after school, so you ain't got to wait for me," Liz said, before opening her door. "Take it easy, okay?"_

_Two-Bit barely registered what she said, but mumbled an "okay." Once her door had closed, he pulled the keys out of the ignition and rested his head on the steering wheel. Maybe school wasn't such a good idea after all. Drinking himself into a stupor is what sounded the most appealing. He had half the mind to skip out on his classes and swipe a six-pack from the Gas-N-Go across the street._

_"Will you bring Johnny by after school?"_ That's what Dally had asked Two-Bit before he left that morning.

And Two-Bit had said he would. That's how he ended up convincing himself to step into the school.

And that's how he ended up, standing in the lunch line, behind a group of Socs, jealously flowing through his veins as he listened to their conversations about who had kissed who at the big party that weekend, and who had gotten a brand new car, and who would be up for fucking prom king and queen this year.

As Two-Bit stepped out of the lunch line, fuming at the Socs and how they somehow managed to get all the breaks, he started scanning the lunchroom for Ponyboy and Johnny. He caught sight of them, sitting at a table in the far corner of the cafeteria. He started to make his way over.

By the time he got there, Ponyboy had disappeared and only Johnny remained. "Where'd Pony go?" Two-Bit asked, plopping down in the seat across from Johnny. He set his tray down on the table, having no intention of eating the turkey sandwich that sat on top of it.

"He's eatin' lunch with Mr. Syme today," Johnny said. "He's gettin' extra help on English." Johnny was looking down at the table as he spoke, his eyes fixated on one spot. Two-Bit wasn't even able to see his face.

Carefully, Two-Bit reached across the table and delicately lifted Johnny's chin up to face him. His heart sank when he saw that Johnny was sporting a brand new black eye. "Damnit, Johnny," he breathed. "Didn't you stay at the Curtis's last night?"

Johnny shook his head. "No, I went home." He looked back down at the table, clearly humiliated. "Darry and Pony weren't gettin' along and I felt weird bein' there."

Two-Bit closed his eyes. "You shouldn't have gone back there, kid," he said, letting his head fall into the palms of his hands. He rubbed the lids of his eyes tiredly.

"It's my home. They're my parents," Johnny maintained.

"It ain't a home if they treat you like that," Two-Bit spat.

Johnny just stared at him. Normally Two-Bit didn't comment much about Johnny's home life because he knew Johnny didn't like talking about it. Normally he'd just switch topics or cheer him up with a joke. But today Two-Bit was far from his laid-back, silly self. He was on edge, worried about Dally, and not feeling too great. He regretted what he said once he saw the hurt look plastered on Johnny's face, though.

"Shoot, Johnny, I didn't mean to snap at you," he apologized.

Johnny nodded and looked down at the empty table in front of him. "I know," he said softly.

Two-Bit, realizing the kid didn't have any lunch, scooted his tray over to him. "Here," he said gently. "Eat."

Johnny looked up at him eagerly. "But don't you want it?" he asked.

Two-Bit shook his head. He knew he wouldn't be able to stomach it. "I ain't hungry."

"The human landfill isn't hungry?" Johnny asked with raised eyebrows. He picked up the sandwich and took a big bite out of it. "What's on your mind, Two-Bit?"

Gosh, Two-Bit wished he could tell Johnny what was going on. Johnny was the kind of the guy who would listen to you, listen and really care about what you were saying. But Two-Bit knew it wasn't his place to say. Dally's words had been echoing in his head all day. _This aint somethin' I want people to know._

Two-Bit sighed. "Nothing's on my mind, kid. It's just a bunch of cobwebs and dust up there, you ought to know that." He knocked on his head with his fist and gave Johnny a big, hopefully convincing, smile.

Johnny returned the smile and set down the sandwich. He was quiet for a moment while he chewed. "How's Dally doin'?" he asked once he had swallowed. "Is he still at Buck's?"

"Nah, he's back at my place," Two-Bit said. "My mom had a change of heart."

"How come?" Johnny asked, puzzled. "Is he okay?"

Two-Bit hesitated. "He's still pretty under the weather," he said honestly. He cleared his throat and tried to hide the wavering of his voice. "But he'll be alright. You know Dal's indestructible."

Johnny pushed the sandwich away. "No he ain't," he said softly. "You know he ain't, Two-Bit. We just pretend he is because it's easier that way. It's what he wants us to think."

Two-Bit didn't say anything for a long while. Johnny was right. Two-Bit had never been worried about Dally before because there had never been any reason to. It was like Two-Bit had told Rick last night: Dally never asked for pity. He was always able to shake off whatever was thrown at him. But this time was different. _Dally_ was different.

Two-Bit felt a pang of guilt for leaving him by himself all day. He'd been a coward and left, just because he didn't want to face it. Hell, he didn't know _how_ to face it. He didn't like seeing Dally the way he was. But Dally needed someone for the first time in his life. And Two-Bit was slowly starting to realize that that "someone" was himself. "You want to go see him?" he asked Johnny suddenly.

Johnny straightened up in his seat. "Now?" he asked eagerly.

Two-Bit nodded. He couldn't stand to hang around school any longer. "Yeah. Once you finish that sandwich." He nodded toward the half-eaten sandwich on the table.

Johnny grinned and quickly wolfed down the rest of the sandwich. "Let's go," he said, before he'd even swallowed the last bite.

Two-Bit had always taken pride in being able to cheer people up. He could make people laugh simply by making outlandish comments. It was what he was good at. But ever since Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had died, Two-Bit had been feeling more and more powerless. He wasn't sure if he could fix this and that scared him to no end


	17. Babysitter

Dally was asleep on the couch when Two-Bit and Johnny got back to the house. Two-Bit noticed he'd taken off his bandage, revealing the cut on his head. Dally stirred and sat up sleepily once Two-Bit closed the front door behind him.

"Sorry, Winston," Two-Bit told him softly. "We didn't mean to wake you."

"We?" Dally asked, wiping his eyes. He squinted, taking in his surroundings. His lips curled into a smile once he saw Johnny standing beside Two-Bit. "Hey, kid."

"Hey, Dal," Johnny said shyly. "How're you feelin'?"

Two-Bit flipped on the light on the nightstand, curious to hear Dally's answer.

But Dally ignored the question and instead asked a question of his own. "Shit Johnny, what happened to your eye?"

Johnny shrugged. "You know how my old man gets," he said dismissively. "What happened to your head?"

"Got into it with some Socs last night," Dally answered coolly, conveniently leaving out that he'd nearly been knocked unconscious. He changed the subject quickly. "Did y'all cut class?" he asked, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Sure did," Two-Bit said happily. "I think I'm startin' to rub off on Johnnycake, here. I didn't have to twist his leg at all to get him to ditch."

"Maybe he's starting to realize there's a much better way to spend the day than goin' to school," Dally said, smirking at Johnny. "You know what I was thinkin' this morning, kid?"

"What?" Johnny asked.

"I owe you a couple games of pinball down at the penny arcade."

Johnny grinned. "Yeah, you sure do."

There was a penny arcade down by the DX. Two-Bit still remembers the day it opened. The gang had all stopped in that night to play some games and hang out. It sort of turned into a pinball tournament. But nobody was as good at it as Johnny and Dally were. From that day on, they've been hooked, always challenging one another to a game.

"You want to head down there now?" Dally asked. "I'm itchin' to get out of this damn house."

Johnny glanced at Two-Bit nervously, almost as if he was asking permission. "You sure you're up for that, Dal?" Two-Bit asked slowly, really studying Dally's face. Worried as he was, he had to admit that Dally looked better than he had the past couple of days. His lips were starting to get color back into them and the dark circles under his eyes were fading.

Dally nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure," he said and stood up. "It's not like you could stop me anyway, Mathews. Nothing stands between us and pinball, ain't that right, Johnny?"

"The man has a point," Johnny said, raising his eyebrows at Two-Bit.

"Alright, I'll drive you guys down there and then head over to the DX," Two-Bit said. "I'll make sure Soda and Steve ain't goofin' off too much."

* * *

At the DX, Soda was working on fixing a car, and Steve was taking his break for lunch. Two-Bit had dropped Dally and Johnny off at the penny arcade and told them to come over to the DX when they were done.

The DX was deserted. Two-Bit remembered Steve saying their busiest hours were early in the morning and then after school let out.

"So tell me, Mathews, how does it feel?" Steve took a bite out of his apple and hopped up onto the counter. He swallowed and grinned at Two-Bit.

"How does what feel?"

"Bein' Winston's babysitter."

"I ain't his babysitter," Two-Bit grumbled. He pushed himself up so he was sitting on the counter next to Steve. "I'm just helpin' him out."

Soda wheeled out from under the car on his creeper. "Is Dal doing any better since we saw him?" he asked.

Two-Bit shrugged. "I dunno. He got jumped by some Socs last night at Buck's. I think that shook him up a bit. But he seems to be doin' alright today."

"What were they thinkin' jumping Dallas Winston on our turf?" Steve asked.

"Well, he was way outnumbered. Four to one. Luckily Merril and some of the Brumly gang heard what was goin' on and helped chase 'em away before it got too ugly. Dally wouldn't have had a prayer."

Steve cursed under his breath. "Those pansies are just looking for trouble. Man, I would love an excuse to just knock the lights out of one 'em. It's been too long since I gave an ol' Soc a beating."

"Yeah, I don't know if I even remember how to fight," Soda quipped before sliding back under the car.

Steve continued to go on about Socs, but once again, Two-Bit wasn't listening. He'd zoned out for the umpteenth time today. He was thinking about how they had bigger problems than Socs. Socs weren't anything but a minor inconvenience in hindsight.

Steve tilted his head at him. "You alright, Mathews?"

"Peachy," Two-Bit said dully.

Steve hopped off the counter and pulled Two-Bit down with him. "Let's step outside, okay? I want to talk to you." He pushed Two-Bit out of the garage and made him sit down on the bench by the front door. Steve stood in front of him and folded his arms across his chest. "Okay, spill," he said.

Two-Bit just stared at him.

"Oh come on, Two-Bit, don't look at me like that." Steve sighed and took a seat beside him. "I know there's somethin' on your mind. Somethin' besides blondes and booze, that is. What's going on?"

Two-Bit's stomach sank. He was going to have to lie again, and he didn't like that one bit. "Nothing's going on, Steve," he said tiredly. Even he wouldn't have believed himself.

Steve frowned at him. "Did you ever call that girl you met at Buck's Friday night?" he asked, his voice accusatory.

Steve was talking about Kathy, a blonde looker that had been hanging out with them Friday night. Two-Bit got her number and promised to call her, but to be honest, he hadn't given her a second of thought since Dally showed up on his doorstep. "No, I didn't."

Steve stared at him in disbelief. "Are you _crazy_? She was a babe."

"Yeah, she was," Two-Bit agreed. "I just haven't had the time…" he trailed off, letting the thought hang.

Steve sighed. "Look, Two-Bit, I know you've been helpin' out the Curtises a lot. And now you've got your hands tied with Winston. And that's fine, although I don't see why Dal can't take care of himself." He paused, and looked Two-Bit right in the eyes. "I just wish you'd remember to take some time for yourself, man. I ain't used to seein' you so tense all the time."

It was strange having this conversation with Steve. Two-Bit couldn't remember the last time the two of them had a serious conversation. It wasn't like Steve to show concern for anyone. But these past two months had changed them all.

Two-Bit was about to tell Steve not to worry about him, that he had it all under control. But that would've been another lie. So he was relieved when a customer in an old pick-up truck pulled into the garage.

"I better go see what this is about," Steve said, hopping up. "Promise me you'll give that Kathy girl a ring, okay? You need a gal in your life."

"Sure, if it'll get you to shut your trap, I'll call her," Two-Bit said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm holding you to that," Steve said earnestly, before jogging off to greet the customer.

And Two-Bit was left sitting on the bench, wishing he never knew about Dally, wishing Mr. and Mrs. Curtis hadn't died, and wishing he knew where he put Kathy's phone number.


	18. Progress

"Doesn't your mother look stunning?" Rick asked, beaming at his date. He'd surprised her with an invitation to the annual banquet dinner his firm puts on every year. He even brought home a little red dress and heels for her to wear.

"She always does," Two-Bit answered. That was true, but tonight she looked absolutely radiant. Her light brown hair fell in soft swoops below her cheeks. It was refreshing to see her with her hair down. She normally had it pulled back for work. But it was the big smile she had across her face that Two-Bit really took notice of. He realized, for the first time in a long while, that his mother was happy. _Truly_ happy.

"You look beautiful, Mom," Liz said.

Rick was standing by the door, in his sports coat and tie, looking pretty striking himself. He held his hand out to her, and she took it, and he gently kissed the top of her hand.

Two-Bit and Liz looked on with admiration. Rick sure seemed to know what he was doing. Out of all the men his mom had dated, Two-Bit definitely approved of him the most.

"We'll probably stay the night at Rick's," Mrs. Mathews told Two-Bit. "Will you kids be okay?" She glanced out the window at Dally, who had gone outside for a smoke.

"Yeah, we'll be fine, Mom. Go have fun."

"Okay. There's leftover chicken for dinner and I left the number of where we'll be on the fridge." Rick started pushing Mrs. Mathews out the door while she continued to ramble off instructions. "Do your homework!" was the last thing Two-Bit heard before the door closed behind them.

* * *

Two-Bit looked out through the screen door at his houseguest. He was puzzled, to say the least. Dally had done a complete 180 from last night. Last night he was sick, upset, beaten up, and had disclosed to Two-Bit the knowledge of something unthinkable. Today, Dally had acted as though none of it had happened.

But Two-Bit had a feeling that's all it was: an act.

Two-Bit cleared his throat as he stepped out onto the porch. "Hey Dal."

Dally was sitting on the steps looking out into the front yard. A cigarette was laced through his fingers, but he wasn't smoking it. It just hung there, lit and burning away slowly. He looked over his shoulder at Two-Bit. "Hey."

"Liz is heatin' up dinner," Two-Bit said, taking a step closer. "You hungry?"

Dally shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

Two-Bit dropped down beside him, looking him over carefully. He wore an expression on his face that Two-Bit couldn't read. "You doin' alright?"

Dally glared at him. "I swear, Mathews, if you keep askin' me how I'm doin' every five seconds, I'm gonna lose it." He stomped his cigarette out on the step and threw it out into the yard.

Two-Bit faltered slightly at Dally's behavior. "Look, Dal, cut me some slack, okay?" he said timidly. "I ain't got a clue about what to say anymore."

"You ain't gotta say anything," Dally said flatly.

Two-Bit ignored him. It wasn't like him to keep quiet. But he did change the subject. "Who won in pinball today?"

"The kid."

Dally didn't elaborate, so Two-Bit gave up on trying to talk to him. He sighed and started to stand up, when Dally spoke again.

"I don't know why he keeps goin' back there."

Two-Bit knew immediately what he was talking about. Johnny. The black eye. He knew it bugged Dally more than he'd shown this afternoon. Two-Bit settled back down on the step.

"I keep tellin' him not to, but he doesn't listen," Dally continued. "They ain't gonna change. I don't get why he keeps thinkin' they will."

"Dal, Johnny's not like you—"

"He needs to wise up," Dally interrupted, as if Two-Bit hadn't spoken. "He's gonna keep gettin' hurt if he doesn't."

Dally's eyes were blazing and Two-Bit knew better than to disagree with Dally when his eyes looked like that. But Two-Bit meant what he'd said. Dally and Johnny were two different breeds. Dally was hard and tough, and he was able to stand his parents not wanting anything to do with him. Johnny was too sensitive.

"He's got the gang," Dally went on to wrap up his rant. "Why does he need anyone else? He's got the whole damn gang."

He was right in some sense. Johnny did have the gang. Any one of the gang would take a bullet for that kid, Dally especially. But the gang wasn't the same. It wasn't the same as having his folks care about him.

Two-Bit didn't want to set Dally off any more, so he just sat beside him quietly, letting him cool off a bit. He was secretly a little relieved. He'd seen a spark of determined anger light up in Dallas's eyes that had been missing the past few days. Two-Bit knew being angry all the time wasn't exactly healthy, but for Dallas Winston it was normal. And that's all Two-Bit wanted: for things to go back to normal.

"C'mon," Two-Bit said, after a good amount of time had passed. He pulled Dally up. "Let's go eat."

* * *

_Remember to take some time for yourself._ Those were the words running through Two-Bit's head as he stared down at Kathy's phone number.

Dally had excused himself immediately after dinner and had been locked in Two-Bit's bedroom ever since. Liz, too, had excused herself to finish up some homework. Dinner had been pretty awkward, with all three of them just sort of staring at each other while they ate. But the important thing was that Dally _did_ eat. His entire plate.

_"He ain't got much to say," Liz commented to Two-Bit as they washed up the dishes together. "And neither did you for that matter," she added. "I ain't used to that."_

_"Sorry Liz, I guess I just have a lot on my mind," Two-Bit admitted._

_"Well cut that out." She grinned at him. "I want my happy-go-lucky brother back."_

And as Two-Bit looked down at the phone number in his hand, he realized that Kathy might just be the ticket back to who he used to be.

Two-Bit took a deep breath and dialed the number, praying to the heavens that Kathy had her own line. He never talked to the parents of the girls he dated if he could help it.

"Hello?" Kathy's voice came over the line, and Two-Bit breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kathy? It's Two-Bit Mathews."

"Oh, hi Two-Bit!" she said happily. "I was starting to think you'd lost my number."

"Trust me, I'm very responsible when it comes to keeping track of a pretty girl's number," Two-Bit joked. "I just wanted to keep you on your toes."

"Oh, I see." Two-Bit could hear the smile in her voice.

"Listen, I was thinkin' we could go grab a bite to eat after school tomorrow. Does that sound good to you?"

"Yeah, I'd like that just fine," Kathy answered. "I'll come by your locker after school."

"You dig okay, baby," Two-Bit said. "See you then."

Two-Bit hung up the phone, feeling satisfied. He was glad he'd taken Steve's advice. This is what he did. He got boozed up. He dated girls. He had _fun_.

As he lay on the couch, trying to fall sleep, he didn't think about Dally. He didn't think about the Curtises. He thought about a bouncy, blonde girl and the fun he had in store with her tomorrow.

That night, for the first time in a long time, Two-Bit Mathews fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	19. Decline

Two-Bit awoke to some bustling by the front door. He focused his eyes and saw a tall, lean figure fiddling with the lock on the door. He knew who it was at once.

"Dally?" Two-Bit sat up quickly and flipped on the lamp beside the couch. "What are you doin'?"

Dally jumped slightly when Two-Bit spoke his name. He turned around slowly. "Woke up and couldn't get back to sleep," he answered. He was trying, but failing, to sound casual. "Didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's okay," Two-Bit said, wiping his eyes. "Are you alright?" Dally looked white as a ghost.

Dally drew in a shaky breath. "I just need some fresh air," he explained, reaching for the doorknob with a trembling hand. He ducked his head and slipped out the door.

Two-Bit's heart sank. He had a feeling his high spirits were about to go down the drain. So much for only focusing on Kathy. He was back to worrying about Winston.

He sighed and followed Dally out the door, bringing a blanket with him. He knew how chilly it could get on autumn nights in Oklahoma, and Dally was only wearing a T-shirt and a pair of Two-Bit's sweatpants.

Two-Bit found Dally back on the stoop with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He draped the blanket over Dally's shoulders and dropped down beside him.

"Nights are always rougher than the days, huh?" Two-Bit said quietly. Dally always seemed so much better during the day. Two-Bit had thought things had taken a step forward but, tonight, as he looked at Dally's dispirited, sickly figure, it was as if he'd taken two steps back.

Dally just shrugged.

Two-Bit opened his mouth to speak again, but closed it quickly. He hated having to be wary about what he said. Normally, he didn't have a filter and he'd blurt out whatever popped into his brain, without being concerned about the consequences. But now he was always afraid of saying the wrong thing. Dally was in a vulnerable state, and Two-Bit knew his big mouth had the potential to make an delicate situation even worse.

"Did you have a bad dream or somethin'?" he asked finally.

Dally let out a deep breath and nodded vaguely, but he didn't elaborate.

"Want to talk about it?" Two-Bit asked, despite knowing Dally's answer before he'd even voiced the question.

"No," Dally answered mechanically. "You ain't gotta be out here, Mathews. Go back inside."

Two-Bit swallowed hard. "I ain't goin' anywhere, Dal. You ought to know that by now."

Dally curled his arms around his stomach and glared at him. "You're so fuckin' stubborn," he said weakly. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose. He looked miserable.

"Yeah, well you ain't so compliant yourself," Two-Bit countered, eyeing him carefully. "You sick to your stomach again?"

Dally squeezed his eyes shut even tighter and nodded. "I was hopin' the fresh air would help…" He let his head fall back into his hands. "I don't get why I can't shake this," he mumbled, so quietly that Two-Bit wasn't sure if he was meant to hear it.

Two-Bit licked his lips nervously. "Maybe you should talk to someone, Dal. A doctor or somethin'."

Dally looked at him like he was crazy. "My pissant family can't afford a doctor," he spat. "They're all quacks anyway."

"No they're not, man. Darry was tellin' me about this doctor Pony's been seein' and—"

"Forget it, Mathews."

Two-Bit bit down on his lip. He wanted to say so much more, but he knew it wasn't the time. He let out a quiet, nettled sigh. "Well, if the fresh air ain't helpin' you feel better, then we should head back inside. No use catchin' pneumonia too."

He stood up and held his hand out to Dally to help him up. Dally took it reluctantly and followed Two-Bit inside.

"Want to watch TV?" Two-Bit asked. He had a feeling Dally was still too shaken up from his dream to go back to sleep just yet.

Dally shrugged his shoulders. "Sure," he mumbled.

He settled into the armchair while Two-Bit fiddled around with the TV until he landed on something worth watching. It was _Candid Camera_.

"Find somethin' else," Dally told him bluntly. "I ain't watchin' that."

"Why not? I thought you liked—" Two-Bid stopped short. He'd forgotten that's what they'd been watching the night of the accident. "Oh." He switched the dial and ended up on _The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson_. "Better?" he asked.

"Yeah," Dally answered.

Two-Bit stepped away from the TV and turned his attention back on Dally. "You need anything?" he asked him. "Some water maybe?"

Dally shook his head, seemingly engrossed in the TV.

Two-Bit went to the kitchen to grab him a glass of water anyway. With how pale Dally looked, he had a feeling he might get physically ill again, and he figured he might as well be prepared. He also dragged the trashcan from the kitchen out into the TV room and put it beside the chair.

"Just in case," he told Dally grudgingly.

Then he flopped down onto the couch and tried to enjoy _The Tonight Show_ , which wasn't hard to do. Two-Bit idolized Johnny Carson for his humor and wit. He even had a poster of him hanging up in his room.

It was amazing how Two-Bit could get so easily immersed in the TV. His mother always said if he paid half as much attention in school as he did to the television screen, he'd be a straight A student for sure.

Before long, he was laughing so hard he was close to tears. When it cut to a commercial, Two-Bit looked over to Dally, hoping to see that he was enjoying the show as much as he was. Instead, he saw Dally gripping the trashcan tightly, clearly anticipating being sick. Two-Bit could see beads of sweat forming on his brow.

"Shit, Winston, not again." he said softly. He wished there was something he could do. He got up off the couch and knelt down beside him. "You okay?"

"I don't want to throw up again," Dally moaned as a reply. He squeezed his eyes shut as he hovered over the bin.

"I know, man," Two-Bit said gently. But Dally's lips were stark white, and he knew it was going to happen whether Dally wanted it or not. So Two-Bit put his arm behind his sick friend's back and together they waited for the inevitable.

* * *

"You okay, Dal?" Two-Bit asked from the foot of the bed. They were back in his bedroom, Dally propped up by pillows and shivering under the covers. Tears were silently rolling down his cheeks, but he made no effort to stop them.

Dally was so obviously not okay that Two-Bit felt like an idiot for even asking the question. Two-Bit had just witnessed his friend heave for the better part of a half hour, and here he was asking him if he was okay like a complete moron. But he needed Dally to nod. He needed that false assurance that he was okay. It was the only thing he was clinging to at this point.

Dally nodded and looked down at his hands.

Two-Bit knew he was humiliated. The poor guy had practically no dignity to hold on to, especially since Liz had woken up and seen him at his worst.

_"Go back to bed, Liz," Two-Bit had barked at her. "He'll be okay."_

Her expression was a mix of being offended and being worried, but she listened and had scurried back into her room.

Two-Bit cleared his throat gruffly. He didn't know how to say what he wanted to say next without sounding too desperate or pushy. "I wish you would talk to me, Dally. I'm worried about you." He was more worried than he cared to admit.

"I know you're worried about me," Dally said, a hint of anger in his voice. "It's written all over your damn face. But talkin' won't help anything."

"You don't know that—"

"Yes I do," Dally snapped. "You don't want to hear it and I don't want to talk about it." He wiped his tears on his sleeve and glared out the window.

Two-Bit let out a defeated sigh. "All I'm saying is that keepin' it to yourself doesn't seem to be helpin' either."

Dally locked his jaw and stared forward.

Two-Bit stood up. He was too tired to fight a losing battle. "Try to get some more sleep," he said as he backed up towards the door. He needed to get out of that room. He couldn't stand looking at Dally's wan, miserable, and betrayed face any longer. "You know where I'll be if you need anything."

With that, he slipped out the door and closed it softly behind him. Then he turned around and leaned back against it. He wished with all his might that this cold knowledge and sense of responsibility that had been gnawing at him since Dally showed up on his doorstep would just disappear. There was too much weight on his shoulders and Two-Bit was beginning to think he definitely wasn't the one cut out to handle it.


	20. Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, this chapter requires a warning for sexual abuse content and swearing. I wrote this chapter as tastefully and delicately as I could, while also trying to convey the sheer cruelty of what Dally went through. Please heed to these warnings! Thank you.

It was 5 o'clock in the morning, and Two-Bit had been trying to fall back asleep for nearly two hours. Eventually, he gave up entirely and headed outside, blanket and all, for a smoke.

It had started to drizzle, so Two-Bit sat down on the swing and watched the rain. He'd do whatever it'd take to distract himself.

He tried to think about Kathy, but that just made him more upset. He knew he'd have to cancel their date. He couldn't go into school today. He couldn't leave Dally by himself, not after how messed up he'd been tonight.

Two-Bit lit up and let out a sigh. He just sat there, smoking cigarette after cigarette, not knowing what to do.

He was in the middle of trying to blow a smoke ring, when the screen door squeaked open and Dally stepped out onto the porch. Two-Bit assumed he couldn't go back to sleep either.

Dally didn't say a word. He just sat down next to Two-Bit and held his hand out, expecting to bum a cigarette. Two-Bit gave one to him, and they continued to sit in silence.

Two-Bit couldn't think of a single thing to say. He wracked his brains, trying to think of something, anything, that would break the tension. But it was to no avail. He'd said just about everything he could. He was thankful for the light pitter-patter of the rain, otherwise the silence would have driven him up a wall.

Much to Two-Bit's surprise, it was Dally who finally broke the peace.

He stomped out his cigarette and spoke quietly. "It happened almost a month ago," he said.

Two-Bit's eyes widened and he lifted his head to face Dally. _This is it_ , he thought. _He's going to talk._ Two-Bit didn't know it was possible to feel so much relief and anxiety all at once.

Dally went on, slowly and softly. "I was out in the yard, minding my own goddamn business. I dunno, I was probably thinkin' of her. She was the only thing on my mind back then." Dally paused, looking thoughtful.

It was in that moment that Two-Bit realized how much Mrs. Curtis had meant to Dally. Even though, in front of the gang, Dally acted rough and cool around Mrs. Curtis, Two-Bit had a feeling that if she and Dally were ever one-on-one, he opened up to her. Dally trusted her. She was the only one who looked at him like he was something. She treated him like he was her own son. She did that for the entire gang, but for Dally, it was special. No one else treated him like that. She'd scold him for getting into fights, but would be just as quick to patch him up. She'd yell at him for getting arrested, but would lower her voice and explain to him that he was better than that. And he'd shut his trap and listen to her, because her words meant something to him.

Dally cleared his throat gruffly. "Anyway, my guard was down and I didn't see 'em comin'," he said. "One of 'em came up behind me and elbowed me in the head. It knocked me out and when I came to, I was locked in the storage room of the kitchen, and there were three of 'em on top of me."

Dally was gripping the edge of the swing tightly and staring straight ahead. Two-Bit was amazed at how steady his voice was.

He, on the other hand, couldn't breathe. He knew he'd told Dally that he wished he would talk to him, but he hadn't given any thought on how hard it would be to listen.

"I didn't know what was going on, until I realized I was naked," Dally continued. "I started screamin', but the door was fuckin' locked so it didn't matter. Even if somebody heard me and gave a rat's ass, they couldn't help me. I couldn't even fight back 'cause two of 'em had me pinned.

"I kept fadin' in and out of consciousness. I didn't think it would ever stop, Two-Bit. It hurt so fuckin' bad." Dally's voice broke, and Two-Bit wanted to stop him right there. But Dally kept speaking before Two-Bit could open his mouth. "The worst part was the blood," he said shakily. "I-I kept my eyes closed, but I could still smell the blood."

"Dal, stop," Two-Bit begged. He didn't want to hear this. He felt like the entire porch was spinning. "You ain't gotta tell me any more."

"You said you wanted me to talk," Dally growled through gritted teeth. "So you better shut up and goddamn listen."

Two-Bit sunk back into the swing. "Okay," he complied. His voice was soft and timid. He was afraid of Dally getting worked up again.

"The guards knocked the door down," Dally said, after regaining his composure. He went back to staring straight ahead. "Someone must've tipped 'em off because they sure as hell don't pay attention to what's goin' on in the yard. They just watch the fences."

Two-Bit remembered that from his own short stays in prison. One time, he'd gotten filthy drunk and peed on a cop car. His mom had bailed him out the next day, but that was after he'd had some yard time. Another time, he was caught swiping some cassette tapes. They put him away for a couple of nights just to "teach him a lesson." But the only lesson Two-Bit learned was to never get caught again.

"Next thing I knew, I was in the hospital wing, and I stayed there for three weeks until they let me out." Dally swore under his breath. "The fuckin' bull queers only got a week in The Hole." "The Hole" was a cell that didn't have any windows. It was a completely closed off, cement room where the inmate sat in solitude in pitch-black darkness. It was an awful way to serve time – enough to make a guy go crazy – but it wasn't nearly enough punishment for what they'd done to Dally.

"I couldn't wait to get outta that hospital wing. The doc didn't care about what happened. Bastard told me it was my own fault since I landed myself in jail in the first place."

"What?" Two-Bit hissed, indignant. "He has no right sayin' stuff like that—"

"He kept a close eye on me, though," Dally went on, ignoring Two-Bit's comment. "Only 'cause the law says he has to. I don't remember much of it, but they replaced all the blood I lost and ran all kinds of tests. Made sure I didn't try to off myself. Practically forced food down my throat, no matter how many times I told them it wouldn't stay down." Dally swallowed hard and glanced at Two-Bit. "And at the beginning, they gave me some pills to help me sleep at night. Got rid of the dreams. But after a while the dreams came back. Doc said I'd built up some kind of resistance to 'em.

"They told me I'd stop havin' dreams after a while. Said bein' back in the real world would help. But so far, they've been worse than ever." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "I thought I'd seen it all in New York, but this… I can't get this out of my head. And that blood. I can still smell that fuckin' blood."

Two-Bit swallowed hard. "What are your dreams about?" he asked, not entirely sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Sometimes they're about Mrs. Curtis. But most of the time I just relive the whole damn thing." Dally drew in a deep breath. "Tonight's dream was different though," he said cautiously, almost as if he was debating on whether to elaborate. "Instead of me, it was Johnny. And I couldn't stop 'em."

Two-Bit felt like he'd been punched in the gut. No wonder Dally had been so messed up tonight. "Dally…" he said with a strained voice.

Dally shook his head, dismissing Two-Bit's sympathy. "There you have it, Mathews," he said with breathy finality. "I hope you're happy. Because now you know everything." Two-Bit saw a single tear roll down his cheek. Dally brushed it away angrily before standing up.

Two-Bit heard him curse under his breath while more tears spilled out of his eyes. He ducked his head and hurried back inside, letting the door slam behind him.

Two-Bit remained on the swing. He couldn't move. He was too numb. He figured Dally needed to be by himself anyway. There was nothing he could say to fix this. All this had done was make him feel even more helpless than before.


	21. Burdened

By the time Two-Bit picked himself up off the porch swing to go back inside, it was nearing 7 o'clock. First, he tapped on Liz's door to make sure she was awake and getting ready for school. "You up, kiddo?" he asked, pushing her door open.

She wasn't. "No. Go away," she said sleepily, pulling her comforter over her head. Liz was so much like Two-Bit, it scared him sometimes. They both had trouble getting out of bed in a timely manner. He knew what he had to do to get her up.

He pulled the comforter off her and tipped the mattress so she rolled right out of the bed. He knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't get mad. She just giggled and curled up into a ball at his feet. "I can sleep on the floor, too, you know."

Two-Bit chuckled and started kicking her lightly with his foot. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"You love it," Liz said. She sighed, succumbing to that fact that she actually had to start the day. She stood up lazily. "How's Dally doing?"

Two-Bit's eyes widened. She'd stopped calling him "the rat." Two-Bit figured she must've mustered up some sympathy for him after seeing him so ill last night. "I dunno, Liz. You saw him."

That didn't seem to be the answer Liz wanted to hear. "You're not going to school today, are you?" she asked. "I don't think you should leave him."

"No, I'm not going to school," Two-Bit confirmed wearily.

Liz tilted her head at him. "There's more to this than him being sick, isn't there?" she said softly. Liz had a way of reading Two-Bit, better than anyone else. She could see right through him.

Two-Bit let out a deep breath. "Yeah, there is," he answered, honestly. "But it's not your job to worry about it, okay? I'm handling it."

"Yeah, you're doing a real bang-up job with that," she scoffed under her breath.

Two-Bit sighed. "Just get ready for school, Liz," he told her tiredly. "I'll still drop you off."

He left her room and poked his head into his own bedroom, relieved to find Dally sound asleep. With any luck, he would stay asleep for most of the day, and Two-Bit wouldn't have to worry about coming up with the right thing to say.

* * *

"Kathy!"

Two-Bit slammed the door to his car shut and hurried after the bouncy blonde heading into the school. He'd just dropped Liz off and started to pull away when he'd caught sight of her. That's when he realized he'd never cancelled their date.

"Kathy, wait up!" Normally, the girls Two-Bit dated were sleazy and greasy, and he wouldn't give a second's thought to standing them up. But Kathy was different. Sure, she was a greaser girl, but she was so sunny and cheery that Two-Bit couldn't bear the thought of not showing up without giving her some sort of explanation.

She and the two other girls she was with, turned around and looked for the frantic guy shouting her name. And frantic he was. He'd run through a crowd of students, not caring if he knocked them down, just to get to her.

"Two-Bit, what in the—" Kathy's mouth was hanging slightly open as she took in the sight of him. The two girls she was with started whispering to each other.

Two-Bit suddenly realized how raggedly and ridiculous he must look. He was still wearing the clothes he'd slept in and hadn't given any thought to shaving the past couple of days.

"I need to talk to you," he said, breathless, trying to ignore all the stares coming his way. "You got a minute?"

"Sure…" she said slowly. She told her friends she'd meet up with them later and pulled Two-Bit over to the side of the school. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Two-Bit dismissed quickly.

"Okay," Kathy said skeptically. "What did you want to talk about?"

Two-Bit let out a deep breath. "I can't take you out after school," he said regretfully. He couldn't look her in the eye.

"You mean you're blowing me off." She didn't sound mad, just disappointed.

"No, I ain't blowin' you off," Two-Bit said. "I just can't make it into school today. Somethin' came up."

"Gee, that ain't vague at all," Kathy said, rolling her eyes. "What came up?"

"A friend needs my help." _Please let that be enough to satisfy her_ , Two-Bit thought.

"Who? Help with what? He's not in trouble with the cops, is he?"

Two-Bit felt like he was being interrogated. "No he's not in trouble with the cops," he assured her. _For once_ , he thought. "He's just going through a rough patch and I need to be there for him. Trust me, the less you know, the better."

Kathy folded her arms across her chest and clicked her tongue. She was clearly debating about whether or not she should believe him. "Okay," she gave in. "I was just really looking forward to this."

"I was too," Two-Bit said sincerely. He took her hands in his. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll take you out another time."

"Soon?" Kathy asked. "Because I ain't gonna wait around for you forever, Two-Bit Mathews."

"Soon," he confirmed as the bell rang.

* * *

Two-Bit was heading back to his car, when he saw two familiar kids, with perfectly greased hair, sitting on the bench by the parking lot. He crept up behind them and tapped both of them on the head before jumping over the bench and settling in between them.

"Glory, Two-Bit, do you always have to sneak up on us like that?" Ponyboy asked.

"Sure do," Two-Bit said resolutely, patting Johnny on the knee. "Didn't y'all hear the bell? You're gonna be late for class."

"Yeah, we heard it," Ponyboy said. "And look who's talkin'. You'll be just as late as us."

"I ain't goin' to school," Two-Bit said. To avoid further questions, he added: "Not feelin' it today."

"You're not the only one," Pony mumbled under his breath.

"Pone's worried about the social worker that's comin' to check up on them today," Johnny explained to Two-Bit.

Right. It was Tuesday. Darry told him about this. "Aw, Pony, you ain't got to worry about that," Two-Bit assured him without missing a beat. "They won't split you guys up. That'd be like splittin' up the three stooges. It would be a crime against humanity."

"See, Ponyboy?" Johnny said. "I told you, you ain't got anything to worry about."

Pony let out a huff of air, unconvinced. "Just because Two-Bit ain't worried, doesn't mean I shouldn't be. You never worry about anything, Two-Bit."

_Boy, is he ever wrong there,_ Two-Bit thought. But he was glad that's how Ponyboy saw him. Somebody needed to be the rock after everything that'd happened. "It's easier that way," Two-Bit said, plastering a fake smile on his face. He stood up. "But if you're so worried about the social worker taking you away, then I don't know what you're doin' out here talkin' to me. I don't think she'd approve if she got wind of y'all skippin' out on classes."

"Aw, she won't hear about that," Johnny said, laughing, but Ponyboy wasn't going to take any chances. He grabbed his books and hurried off into the school. Johnny shrugged to Two-Bit and then hurried off after him. "See you later, Two-Bit," he called over his shoulder.

"You got it, kid."

* * *

Rick's Camaro was parked outside the Mathews' house when Two-Bit pulled in. That car always took his breath away. But this time it wasn't because of its sleek beauty. It was because Two-Bit hadn't planned on Rick being here. He just hoped he understood why he was skipping out on school.

Rick was in the kitchen reading the newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee. He looked up when Two-Bit stepped into the room.

"Hey Rick, what're you doin' here?" Two-Bit asked, trying to sound casual.

Rick smiled. "I should be asking you the same thing," he said. "I don't have to go into work until later and your mom went to breakfast with some friends. She asked me to swing by and check on Winston. He's passed out in your bed."

Two-Bit nodded and sat down in the chair across from Rick. "He had a rough night."

"By the looks of it, so did you," Rick commented.

"I stayed up with him," Two-Bit explained. He felt dizzy as he remembered how ill Dally had been, and how he couldn't do anything to help.

"You decided to stay home from school."

Two-Bit nodded vaguely. "I didn't want to leave him for too long. Not after how sick he was last night." Two-Bit silently cursed his voice for trembling. He looked down at the table, humiliated.

Rick set his coffee mug down and pushed the newspaper aside. He folded his arms and rested them on the table. "Two-Bit, I want you to look at me, son."

Two-Bit lifted his head slowly and met Rick's eyes.

"You know, kid, I'm pretty good at reading people," he said. "It's a skill that comes in handy as a lawyer."

Two-Bit looked back down quickly. He knew where this was going.

"Two-Bit," Rick continued gently. "I know there's something about this Winston fellow that you're not telling me. I'd like to help your friend. But if I don't know all the details, I can't help as much as I'd like."

Two-Bit swallowed hard, shaking his head. Those damn tears had started to prick his eyes again. "Dally doesn't want me to say anything," he said shakily. "I'm not even supposed to know. It was a fluke that I found out—" Two-Bit stopped short, realizing he'd already said too much.

"Found out what?" Rick prompted.

Two-Bit hesitated. He wanted so badly to get this off his chest, to get the pressure off of his shoulders. He just couldn't bring himself to say it.

But Rick wasn't giving up. "Keith." He addressed Two-Bit by his real name. "I know you know how serious this is. Dallas is too thin and if he keeps getting sick at night – if he keeps losing sleep – he could be in real trouble. You know that, don't you?"

Two-Bit nodded and several tears slipped out of his eyes. Rick was good at what he did. He convinced people to talk to him – to tell him the truth. Dally needed help far beyond what Two-Bit could give him. He might not want people to know about this, but someone had to know in order to properly help him. Two-Bit was convinced. He let out a deep breath and told Rick the truth.


	22. Trapped

By the time Two-Bit had finished speaking, his cheeks were wet and his eyes were heavy. He was so tired, and it was hard keeping his composure in front of this man he had come to respect, even idolize.

Rick didn't seem very surprised. He looked sad, but not surprised. Rick was a smart guy, and being a lawyer, he had to know the kinds of things that went on in prison. Two-Bit had a feeling that, on some level, he already suspected the truth about Dally. He just didn't want to act on it until his suspicions were confirmed.

"You did the right thing by telling me, kid," Rick assured him, reaching across the table to put his hand on top of Two-Bit's. "I can't imagine how hard this has been for you, feeling like you couldn't tell anybody, while Dallas was suffering."

Two-Bit nodded. "I ain't used to seein' him like this," he said softly. "What if he never gets over it?"

Rick let out a deep breath. "You just need to be patient. You've already given him the best thing you could have. Support. But getting over something this traumatic is going to take time – it doesn't matter how tough you are." Rick sighed. "Just know this isn't all on you anymore, kid. I'll help. Your mother will help. We'll do everything we can to get him back on his feet."

Two-Bit nodded, but he still didn't feel reassured. What if Dally didn't accept their help? What if, by telling Rick, Two-Bit had just made things worse? And how would his mother react to all of this? He put his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands.

"Two-Bit, why don't you go lie down for a bit?" Rick suggested.

But Two-Bit shook his head. "No, if Dally wakes up I want to—"

"If Dallas wakes up, I'll come and get you," Rick interrupted. "You need sleep. Go."

Two-Bit was leery, but he obeyed. Sleep sounded too good to pass up. He decided to crash in Liz's room instead of on the couch. It felt like ages since he'd slept in a bed. As he was closing the door to her room, he overheard Rick on the phone with work. He was taking the rest of the day off.

Two-Bit let the door close and collapsed onto Liz's bed, deep in thought. Rick had come into their lives just three months ago, but he was already willing to take off work to help Two-Bit out. That spoke volumes to the kind of person he was. _You did good, Mom_ , Two-Bit thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep. _For a change._

* * *

When Two-Bit woke up next, he felt like he'd been asleep the entire day, but it had really only been just shy of an hour.

He was about to roll over and go back to sleep, when something stopped him. Very faintly, he could hear hushed voices coming from beyond Liz's closed door. He kicked off the covers and reluctantly got out of bed. He was not going to be happy if Dally was up and Rick hadn't woken him.

He opened the door a crack and listened. The voices were coming from down the hall in the living room. His mother was home and she and Rick were having a quiet, but concentrated, discussion.

Two-Bit crept down the hall and sunk down to the floor, out of eye-sight, so he could hear better.

_"I can't believe you agreed to this," he heard his mother say. Two-Bit wasn't quite able to interpret the tone of her voice._

_"I didn't agree to anything, Marie," Rick said calmly. "I just told Two-Bit we'd do everything we can to help Dallas."_

" _But how do you expect us to help him?" she questioned. "We're not equipped for this." Two-Bit decided she didn't sound angry, just overwhelmed._

_"Nobody's equipped to handle this," Rick said sadly. "Look, Marie, the boy's parents are deadbeats. They're not around. And with those Curtis folks gone, I'd say we're just about his only hope. He doesn't have anyone else."_

_Mrs. Mathews let out a sigh. "I just can't—Oh, that poor boy." Two-Bit could tell she was trying to hold back tears. "And I was so awful to him…"_

_"Hon, you didn't know," Rick said gently. "Two-Bit didn't even know until the other night."_

_Two-Bit heard the sound of his mother blowing her nose._

_"I think you ought to be real proud of your son," Rick added, and Two-Bit couldn't help but smile to himself. "He's handled all of this very responsibly."_

_Mrs. Mathews let out a half-hearted laugh. "Well, when it comes to his friends, that's just about all he's responsible with."_

Two-Bit yawned and Liz's bed started calling out to him to come back. He decided he'd try to get some more sleep while he could. He'd heard enough to know that his mother was on his side, and that should have brought more relief than it did. But Two-Bit still felt a mountain of anxiety in his gut.

Oh his way back to bed, his own thoughts of sleep went out the window when he poked his head inside his bedroom to check on Dally. He was lying on his back, the blankets tucked neatly around him, sound asleep.

For some odd reason, Two-Bit was frozen at the door, just watching him. It was weird seeing Dallas Winston so peaceful. Two-Bit almost felt like he was hallucinating. How strange it is that sleep can bring serenity, but on the other hand it can introduce you to some of your most terrible and gruesome fears.

And here was a guy who had to face these fears in real life. His only escape was sleep – and even that was gamble. He didn't know when sleep would bring a nightmare, forcing him to relive his awful past.

Before Two-Bit realized what he was doing, he stepped into his room and took a seat in his desk chair beside the bed. Up close, Dally didn't look so peaceful. He looked damaged. Two-Bit could see the bruises on his face and the cut on his head and the dark circles under his eyes.

The longer Two-Bit sat there, the more he dreaded Dally waking up. He was afraid of how he would react to Rick and his mom knowing the truth. He was scared of Dally, but above that, he was scared for him. It made him feel trapped.

And no matter how much Two-Bit tried to deny it, a haunting realization was slowly starting to dawn on him.

He wanted out.


	23. Drained

Two-Bit woke to his mother shaking him lightly. "Liz'll be home from school soon," she told him. "You might want to vacate her room."

Two-Bit wiped his eyes sleepily and sat up. His mom was dressed for work, her hair pulled back. "You headin' out?" he asked, looking at the clock. It was almost 3:00pm.

"Yeah, in a couple of minutes. I want to wake Dallas up before I leave. He needs to eat something." She smiled sadly at him. "You should have told me about him sooner."

Two-Bit sighed. "I know," he said. "It's just… he didn't want anybody to know. But after last night…" Two-Bit trailed off, letting the thought hang. He let out a deep breath. "He really needs some help, Mom." He glanced sideways at her. "Has he been asleep all day?"

Mrs. Mathews nodded. "Rick's been in there a couple times. You know, to make sure he's still breathing." She stood up. "Come on. Let's go wake him up. Rick's heatin' up some soup for him."

Two-Bit followed his mom out of Liz's room and into his own. It seemed as though Dally hadn't moved an inch since Two-Bit had been there before. He shook Dally's shoulder lightly while his mom waited by the door.

Dally's eyes flew open in a panic, but he quickly composed himself when he saw it was Two-Bit standing over him.

"You alright?" Two-Bit asked softly.

"Yeah, fine," Dally grumbled as he sat up. He squinted at the clock and then looked around the room, taking in his surroundings. "What's she doing?" he asked lowly, nodding toward Two-Bit's mom.

Before Two-Bit could answer him, Mrs. Mathews stepped into the room. "How're you feeling, Dallas?" she asked.

"I'm okay," Dally answered slowly, clearly confused as to why Mrs. Mathews had suddenly taken an interest in him.

"I'm glad to hear that," she said. "I'm about to go to work, but Rick is heating up some soup for you. He'll bring it in in a few minutes, okay?"

Dally nodded vaguely, unable to comprehend why she was being so friendly to him.

She turned to Two-Bit and kissed him on top of the head before heading out the door. "You call me if you need anything, you hear?"

"Yeah, sure, Mom."

"What the hell is up with her?" Dally asked immediately, once Two-Bit's mom left the room. She'd closed the door behind her.

Two-Bit sat down in his desk chair and licked his lips. He figured there was no use in beating around the bush. "Uh… she sort of… knows what happened," he answered nervously.

Dally just stared at him, his mouth hanging slightly open, so Two-Bit continued. "Rick knew somethin' was going on with you and he sort of beat it out of me…"

Dally finally processed what Two-Bit was saying. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and chucked Two-Bit's pillow on floor with as much force as he could muster. "Goddammit!" he hissed, and let out a string of additional expletives. "Jesus, Two-Bit, do you have no backbone at all?"

"I have a backbone," Two-Bit said crossly through gritted teeth. Even though he knew Dally would probably react this way, it still bothered him. "But for Christ's sake, Dally, do you think it's easy for me to see you like this?"

"I don't know," Dally snapped. "All I know is you had no right."

Two-Bit let out a sound that was a mix between a laugh and a grunt of frustration. "I've had a right ever since that night you showed up on our doorstep."

"Bullshit. Besides, you were never supposed to find out about—"

"Yeah, well, I did."

Silence. Dally was glaring at Two-Bit, and Two-Bit was glaring back. Tit for tat.

"I never asked for your help," Dally finally mumbled.

Two-Bit sighed and he tried to soften the tone in his voice. "You didn't have to," he said quietly. He was frustrated, but his worry and pity for Dally trumped any other emotion.

"I can't believe you told them," Dally said.

"I didn't know what else to do!" Two-Bit exclaimed. He felt his eyes start to well up with tears. "Gosh, Dal, you were so sick last night. And I couldn't do anything to help you."

"And you think your mom and Rick can?" Dally challenged harshly.

Two-Bit hesitated. "I don't know," he said honestly. "But I think it's worth a try."

Dally was shaking his head. "No," he spat. "No. All you've done is drag them into something they have no business being stressed about." He bent forward to pick the pillow up off the floor and slunk back against it. He stared at the ceiling and locked his jaw. "Get out of here, Mathews. I can't even stand to look at you."

Two-Bit stood up and left his room without saying a word. The truth was, he couldn't stand to look at Dally either. Not because he was angry with him, but because he still looked sick and frail. Two-Bit didn't regret his decision to tell Rick. In fact, he was pretty sure it was the best decision he'd ever made.

He closed the door behind him and leaned up against it. If he hadn't been so worked up, he probably would have laughed at the irony of getting kicked out of his own room.

Two-Bit made his way into the kitchen. Rick was setting up a tray of soup for Dally.

"Hey kid," Rick acknowledged.

"Hey," Two-Bit grumbled as he collapsed into a kitchen chair. He rested his head on the table. He wanted to scream into a pillow.

Rick could sense this. He took a seat across from Two-Bit. "Dallas didn't take the news very well, huh?" he asked.

"That's an understatement," Two-Bit said. He felt sick. He didn't want to deal with this anymore.

Rick was quiet for a moment. "Why don't you get out of here?" he suggested after a while.

Two-Bit cocked an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"

"Get out of the house. Clear your head. I think it'd be good for you."

Two-Bit sat up. Getting out of the house sounded beyond appealing. "Yeah, I could do that…" he said. "You sure you don't need me?"

"I think I can hold down the fort without you here," Rick assured him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He slid Two-Bit a ten dollar bill.

"What's this?" Two-Bit asked.

"Go get something to eat," Rick said. "Relax. See a movie. Hang out with friends. I don't care. Take all the time you need. Just come back when you're ready."

Two-Bit stood up. "You think you can just buy my approval, Rick?" he joked. He picked up the money. "Well, just so you know… it's working." He looked down shyly. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it, kid."

Two-Bit grinned at him. Then he grabbed his jacket and beat it out of there.


	24. Escape

As Two-Bit stepped out of his house, he realized that he was extremely hungry. He hadn't eaten all day, or much yesterday for that matter, so he decided to head to the Dairy Queen to get a burger. Or maybe two.

The thought occurred to him that he could try to meet up with Kathy to salvage their scheduled date, but he had a feeling she'd just ask a bunch of questions as to why he'd become available all of a sudden. So he chose to leave well enough alone and just make up their date another time.

He decided to take a shortcut through the field by the park where the gang sometimes played football. It was also the regular site for rumbles and fist fights. Two-Bit wasn't surprised to find Johnny there. He was always practicing kicks in his spare time.

"Oy, Johnnycake!" Two-Bit called out as got closer. He lifted his hands up so Johnny would throw him the ball.

When Johnny saw who was calling his name, he grinned and sent the ball rocketing into Two-Bit's hands. "Hey Two-Bit!" he called back.

"Damn, kid, you've got an arm on you," Two-Bit said, shaking out his stung hand. He threw the ball back to Johnny and then went running, full force, to tackle him.

They ended up on their backs, lying in the field, laughing and looking up at the sky.

"Looks like more rain's comin'," Two-Bit commented. The wind was picking up and the clouds were getting grayer. "You hungry, kid? I'm headin' to the Dairy Queen for some burgers. You want to come? I'm buyin'."

It was an offer too good for Johnny to refuse.

* * *

"You know what time that social worker's gonna be at the Curtis's?" Two-Bit asked Johnny, his mouth full. They were sitting at a booth at the Dairy Queen. Two-Bit was in the process of demolishing two cheeseburgers and Johnny was savoring a sundae.

"Pony said she'd come by after Darry got off work. So around 5:00 I guess," Johnny answered. "I figured I'd head over there around 6:00."

Two-Bit sighed as he looked out the window. It was pouring buckets. He could see the movie house in the distance, and an idea occurred to him. On the way over he'd seen that a movie was supposed to start at four. It was one that Pony had been raving about last week. "Hey kid, you want to catch a flick? It'd kill some time."

"You're suggesting we see a movie without Ponyboy?" Johnny asked with raised eyebrows. "Wouldn't that be like cheatin' on him in his house of worship or something?"

Two-Bit laughed. "Well how 'bout we see that one he's already seen?" For some reason he was blanking on the name. "You know, the one he was blabbin' about last week. The one that has that guy with the big honker… Dustin Hoffman, I think his name is. What was it called?"

" _The Graduate_ , I think _._ "

"Right. Let's go see that one. It starts at four."

"Okay," Johnny agreed. He took a bite out of his sundae. "What time is it now?"

"3:40. We've got time."

They ate in silence for a while. And then Johnny brought up Dally. "Hey Two-Bit, how's Dal doin'?" he asked. "He still at your place?"

Words flew out of Two-Bit's mouth before he had time to think about the consequences. "Nah, he left last night. I ain't sure where he went. He was doin' a lot better, though." Two-Bit wasn't exactly sure why he was blatantly lying to Johnny, but he assumed it was because it was just easier than telling him that his hero was on the brink of breaking.

Whatever the reason, Johnny bought Two-Bit's tall tale and quickly finished up his sundae. Then they braved the rain and the pair raced to the movie house.

* * *

_The Graduate_ wasn't at all what Two-Bit was expecting. The name of it had sounded pretty boring. And even though Ponyboy had liked it, Two-Bit had his doubts because he and Pony had very different tastes. Ponyboy liked poetry for cryin' out loud.

But Two-Bit found himself immersed in the story. Normally he couldn't sit still long enough to make it through an entire film (James Bond and Charlie Chaplin movies were the exception), but today was different. If he focused all his attention on _The Graduate_ , then he was able to quit thinking about Winston.

As it turns out, the movie wasn't about some boring scholar that went job-hunting as Two-Bit originally thought. Instead it was about a juicy, steamy, hilarious love affair that had both Two-Bit and Johnny laughing out loud. And Two-Bit was grateful for the escape, even if it only lasted two hours.

* * *

As Two-Bit and Johnny left the movie house, the rain had dissolved to a drizzle and dusk was quickly approaching. It was a little after six, so they started making their way to the Curtis's.

"Hey, are you alright?" Johnny asked on the way there, sort of out of the blue.

"Yeah, why?" Two-Bit said in a voice he'd never used before: high-pitched and defensive.

"I dunno," Johnny said. "I mean, normally when I see movies with you, you're throwin' popcorn at the audience and gettin' yelled at to keep your wise-crackin' trap shut. But tonight, it was almost like you were a civilized human being…" he trailed off. "It doesn't suit you."

Two-Bit grinned. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. Then he head-locked Johnny with his arm, messed up his hair, and took off running. "Race you," he challenged, already ten paces ahead. "Last one there is a rotten egg!"

Johnny took off running after him and they were in a head-to-head race. But it was abruptly cut short, a block from the Curtis's house, when they realized they'd run past Steve. They stopped in their tracks and turned to face him.

He was sitting on the curb, smoking a cigarette. "Hello, gentlemen," he said in a bored voice. "What brings you racing down the street on this fine evening?"

Two-Bit wasn't able to answer right away because he needed to catch his breath. "Social worker… is she…?"

"She's in there now," Steve answered, flicking his ashes towards Two-Bit's feet. "That's her car over there." He pointed to a station wagon parked out front of the Curtis's house.

"How long has she been in there?" Johnny panted as he and Two-Bit took a seat on either side of Steve. Two-Bit silently cursed the curb for being wet.

"'Bout 35 minutes," Steve answered.

"You've been out here this entire time?" Two-Bit asked. "I woulda thought you'd melt in the rain."

"Very funny," Steve mumbled. Then he sat up straighter. "I think she's coming!" he said, pointing toward the Curtis's front door.

A woman, who resembled Mary Poppins, stepped out onto the Curtis's porch. She was wearing a black skirt and had on a black jacket. She was also wearing a black hat and held a black umbrella in her hand. "Let's go fly a kite," Two-Bit murmured to Steve and Johnny.

Johnny laughed, but Steve didn't get the reference. "What?"

"Forget it," Two-Bit said as the woman got into her station wagon and drove away. "C'mon, let's go."

* * *

When the three of them burst into the house, Darry was sitting in the armchair, his head leaned back and his eyes closed. He opened them slowly. "Hey guys," he said, a smile creeping onto his face.

"How'd it go?" Steve demanded.

As if on cue, Soda and Ponyboy stepped into the room holding a chocolate cake. "Hey guys," Soda said happily. "You're just in time to celebrate!"

"So everything went okay?" Johnny asked.

"Yup," Ponyboy said, putting the cake down on the coffee table. "She said we're doin' just fine."

Two-Bit pulled Soda off to the side. "Then why does Darry look so beat?" he asked lowly, as the rest of the gang started in on the cake.

Soda sighed. "She grilled him pretty hard. And just because we're clear now doesn't mean they won't change their minds if something happens."

"Like what?"

"Like if we don't stay on top of our bills. Or we get in trouble with the cops. Anything, really." Soda let out a deep breath. "I'm just happy we're okay for now. But I think Darry's a little overwhelmed about the big picture."

"Don't worry," Two-Bit said, grinning mischievously. "We'll get his mind off of it."

And so began a long night of goofing off, poker tournaments, and celebration. Two-Bit managed to have a good time and keep everyone in high spirits, but he knew in the back of his brain that the night would eventually come to an end. And he knew he couldn't keep Dallas Winston out of his mind forever.


	25. Superman

Two-Bit was leaning against the railing of the Curtis's porch, staring out at the street, working up the courage to head back home. It had started to drizzle again, and Two-Bit found himself wishing he'd driven instead of walked. Steve had left long ago and Johnny was staying the night, so Two-Bit said goodbye, thinking he was over-staying his welcome. He wished he'd had more to drink. He'd only had four beers and that clearly wasn't enough liquid courage to get him back home.

What was he afraid of? He kept telling himself he was afraid of Dally – of how mad he'd been. But deep down, Two-Bit knew that wasn't true. If he was being honest, he didn't care how mad Dally was at him. The only thing he cared about was if he would be okay. And what scared Two-Bit the most was not knowing if he ever would be okay again.

"Two-Bit?" Darry's voice broke into his thoughts.

He turned around to face him.

"You're still here," Darry stated.

"Yeah, I…" Two-Bit hesitated as he tried to come up with a believable reason for hanging around. "It's raining…" he said lamely.

Darry nodded, his mouth twitching up into a slight smile. "Right." He stepped onto the porch and pulled a six-pack out from behind his back. He nodded to the stoop. "Want to stick around and throw back a couple of beers with me?"

"Who do you think you're talkin' to?" Two-Bit asked, grinning. He plopped down on the stoop and Darry joined him.

Darry handed him a beer and took one for himself. They were quiet for a moment, listening to the pitter-patter of the rain.

The rain had picked back up to a pour by the time Darry finally broke the silence. "Two-Bit, can I ask you somethin'?"

"Sure, but it'll cost you."

Darry let out a deep breath, ignoring Two-Bit's droll comment. "Do you think I did the right thing? Takin' Pony and Sodapop in?"

Two-Bit didn't even need to think twice about his answer. "Yeah, of course I do," he said. "What's got you thinkin' you didn't?"

Darry looked down at his beer bottle and started turning it slowly in his hands. "I dunno," he answered. "It's just… we're barely making ends meet and social services are always gonna be breathin' down our necks." He sighed. "I just wonder if they'd be better off in a boys' home or in foster care."

"No, they wouldn't," Two-Bit said firmly. "The best thing is for you guys to stay together. I don't know much, but I know that."

Darry nodded and continued to look down at his beer bottle. He seemed really troubled by all of this.

"Darry, I've gained a ton of respect for you over these past couple of months," Two-Bit told him. "I mean it, man. Everything you've done and everything you've given up, just to do what's right for Pony and Soda… It ain't a mistake that we call you 'Superman,' you know."

"Thanks," Darry said softly. "Except I don't feel like Superman. To tell you the truth, I feel completely lost." He lifted his head and bit down on his lip as he stared off into the distance. "I really miss them," he whispered, and tears started to roll down his cheeks.

Two-Bit set his beer down on the step in front of him. "I know, Darry," he said gently and carefully rested his hand on Darry's shoulder. "I know you do." Two-Bit was almost relieved. That was the first time he had seen Darry cry since the death of his parents. He hadn't even cried at the funeral.

Darry shook his head and let out a forced chuckle. "God, Two-Bit, I'm sorry," he said. He shrugged Two-Bit's hand off his shoulder and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "I didn't mean to bring you down. That's not why I asked you to stay."

"Hey, it's okay," Two-Bit assured him. "It's good for you to open up, man. I was startin' to think you were made of stone."

Darry gave him a slight smile. "Sometimes I think it'd be easier if I was," he said. He let out a deep breath. "Thanks, Two-Bit, really. You're a good friend to talk to." He cleared his throat gruffly and took a sip of his beer. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you, how's Dal doing?"

Two-Bit felt his body go rigid. He'd been hoping that the subject of Dally wouldn't come up. But now that it had, so quickly and unexpectedly, Two-Bit was thrown completely off-guard.

He let out a deep breath. "I ain't so sure you want to know the answer to that, Dar," he said, and his voice was shaky. He didn't want to tell Darry the truth, especially not when he was already down in the dumps. But he knew the truth would come out if Darry pressed on. For some reason he just couldn't lie to Darry.

Darry turned to face him. "What're you talkin' about?" he asked, his expression etched with concern. "You mean he's not okay?"

And maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was because Two-Bit wanted to talk to someone who knew Dally as well as he did, but he went against his better judgment and told Darry everything. Despite knowing that Dally would kill him if he found out and despite knowing that Darry already had enough on his mind. The worst part was that Two-Bit knew he was being selfish.

But he couldn't stop himself. He told Darry how everything had unfolded: how it was Shepard that brought it to Two-Bit's attention, how Two-Bit confronted him, how sick Dally had been the past couple of nights. Everything.

Darry sat stunned beside him. "I can't believe it," he said with a strained voice. "Jesus Christ." He was still for a while, but then, out of nowhere, he chucked his half-empty beer bottle into the street. It shattered into a dozen pieces. "Goddammit, why is everything falling apart?" he snarled. He ran his hands through his hair and looked at Two-Bit desperately.

Two-Bit's heart sank. "I shouldn't have told you," he said and looked down at his hands. "God, Darry, I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to know about this."

"No, I'm glad that you told me," Darry said firmly. He sniffed and wiped his eyes. "I can help. I'd do anything for Dally, you know that."

Two-Bit shook his head sadly. "He doesn't want anybody to know. Especially the gang. I wasn't supposed to tell you – or anyone. Hell, I ain't even supposed to know. You should've seen how angry he got when he found out my mom and Rick knew."

Darry sighed. "I guess I can understand that," he said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "He's got too much pride."

"Yeah, well, he ain't the only one, Superman," Two-Bit said softly, resting his hand back on Darry's shoulder. "But you understand this has to stay between you and me, right?"

Darry hesitated. "Yeah, I know that," he confirmed wearily. "I don't want Ponyboy or Johnny hearin' about this anyway. Don't worry, Two-Bit, I won't tell a soul."

"Not even Soda," Two-Bit warned.

"Not even Soda."

The pair fell silent again, staring out into the rain. But when Two-Bit got bored with watching the rain, he turned his head to look at Darry. He looked old and tired. His forehead was already starting to get wrinkles from worrying too much.

"I wish there was some way I could help," Darry said suddenly. He tilted his head at Two-Bit. "You said Dal's been havin' nightmares?"

Two-Bit nodded.

"He should see that doctor Pony's been seein'," Darry said decidedly. "He's helped him a lot."

Two-Bit sighed. "I mentioned that idea to Dal, but he didn't seem too thrilled about it. But if you want to give me his number, I can pass it along to Rick and see if he can set somethin' up."

Darry shrugged. "It couldn't hurt," he said. "I think he left us his contact card. Let me go grab it and then I'll drive you home."

"Darry, you don't have to—"

"Two-Bit, that wasn't an offer. It was a statement," Darry said firmly. He stood up. "Wait here."

As Two-Bit waited on the stoop, he couldn't help but feel guilty about dragging Darry into this mess. But at the same time, it was a relief to talk to someone about it, someone who could truly relate to the emotions he was feeling.

 _Thank God for Darrel Curtis,_ Two-Bit thought to himself as the rain continued to pour down. _Thank God for Superman._


	26. Hope

Two-Bit's mother was sitting on the couch, knitting, and Rick was sitting in the armchair, going over some files when he stepped in the door. Rick glanced at his watch and gave Two-Bit a disapproving look. It was 2:00 in the morning.

"Hey, you said to come back when I was ready," Two-Bit said defensively.

"And are you?" Rick asked. He took off his reading glasses and set them on the table.

"What do you think?" Two-Bit grumbled. All he wanted to do was go to sleep. "How's Dally?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

Mrs. Mathews let out a sigh. "He wouldn't eat. And he wouldn't talk. Not to me, anyway. If he did talk, he was rude and vulgar. But he's asleep now."

That's about what Two-Bit had expected. Dally wasn't one to forgive and forget, and his mother was definitely on his grudge list. "What about you?" Two-Bit asked Rick. "Would he talk to you?"

Rick shook his head. "I talked. He listened. I tried to tell him that we were on his side and that we wanted him to get better, but I get the feeling he has trouble trusting anyone. Rightfully so," he added.

Mrs. Mathews yawned and set her knitting down in the basket underneath the coffee table. "I'm going to bed," she said, standing up. "Two-Bit, don't stay up too much longer. You've got school in the morning."

"But what about Dal?" he protested.

"I took the night shift the rest of the week at work. So I can be with him during the day."

"Oh, I'm sure that'll go well," Two-Bit said, rolling his eyes.

"It's going to have to do," his mother sighed. "You ain't missin' anymore school this week and Rick needs to work on that case." She kissed Two-Bit on top of the head on her way to bed. "Get to sleep soon, you two," she warned and disappeared down the hall.

"You okay, kid?" Rick asked as Two-Bit collapsed onto the couch. It had been a long day.

"Yeah, just tired, I guess," he mumbled. "You think Dally will sleep through the night?"

Rick sighed. "I hope so," he said. "He refused to eat, and as much as that concerns me, it also makes me think he won't get sick tonight. Whether or not he has a nightmare, that's a different story."

"That reminds me," Two-Bit said, reaching into his pocket to pull out the contact card. He handed it to Rick. "It's the number to a doctor that's been comin' to see Darry's little brother. He's been havin' nightmares too. It might be a long shot to get Dal to agree to this, but we can try, right?"

"Dallas doesn't have to agree to anything," Rick said, examining the card. "If I bring a doctor here, then he doesn't have much say in the matter, does he?"

Two-Bit smiled slightly. "I guess not."

"I'll give him a ring tomorrow," Rick assured Two-Bit. He stood up and started collecting the files he'd been going over. He tucked them under his arm. Then he turned to face Two-Bit, his fingers crossed. "Here's to hoping we all sleep through the night," he said. "G'Night, kid."

"'Night Rick. Thanks."

* * *

"Eat your toast, Winston," Two-Bit said, peering over the comics section of the newspaper at Dally's untouched plate of food.

"Don't want it."

"Then we ain't goin' down to the range."

Dally reluctantly picked up the toast and took a bite out of it. "You're a real pain in my ass, Mathews," he muttered.

"Yeah, well, right back at ya, big guy."

Things had been rocky between the two of them ever since Two-Bit told Rick the truth. Today was Saturday morning, and Two-Bit and Dally had barely spoken to each other over the past three days. When Two-Bit got home from school, Dally either holed up in Two-Bit's room, or the two of them would sit in silence while they watched TV. The two times Dally got sick at night, he refused help from both Two-Bit and Rick. He just locked himself in the bathroom and stayed there for hours. Two-Bit had a feeling that Dally wasn't mad so much as he was humiliated.

_Last night, Dally emerged from the bathroom and came into the TV room to talk to Two-Bit. Two-Bit had only been half-asleep. He knew he wouldn't fully fall back asleep until Dally was back in bed._

_"Mathews," Dally said hoarsely from the darkness._

_Two-Bit sat up. "You alright, Dal?" he asked. He turned on the lamp on the end table._

_Dally didn't bother answering him. He took a seat in the armchair. "I want to go riding."_

_Two-Bit tried to process what Dally had just said. He wiped the sleep from his eyes to take a better look at him. His face was ashen and he was drenched in sweat from being ill. "You want to go riding," Two-Bit repeated with raised eyebrows._

_"That's what I said, ain't it?" Dally snapped. "Will you take me or not?"_

_Two-Bit hesitated. "Dal, I ain't so sure that's a good idea—"_

_"I need to get out of this damn house," Dally interrupted, and Two-Bit could hear wavering in his voice. "I can't handle this shit anymore, okay? I need out." Dally's voice was quickly rising to a panic._

_"Okay, okay," Two-Bit said as gently as he could. "Don't get worked up, man." He bent forward and rested his elbows on his knees, mulling it over. He ran his hand through his hair. "I just don't think you're well enough," Two-Bit said timidly. "You could get hurt, Dal."_

_Dally took in a couple deep breaths to regain his composure. "Two-Bit, I ain't askin' for your permission," he said firmly. "I'm goin' riding tomorrow. Now you can either strap on a pair and come with me, or I can hitchhike there. Your call."_

_Two-Bit sighed. "You're serious?"_

_Dally nodded. Once Dallas Winston makes up his mind, there's no changing it._

_"Okay, I'll take you," Two-Bit gave in wearily. "Go back to bed, man. You look exhausted."_

_Dally had a slight smirk on his face as he carefully made his way back down the hall to Two-Bit's room. Two-Bit flipped off the light and pulled his blankets over his head._

_He really didn't like the idea of Dally riding. At all. Some of those horses could get pretty wild. Usually, Dally was one of the best and toughest riders. In fact, he was the only one that could handle Rocco, a beautiful, light brown quarter horse that had quite a fiery temper. But Two-Bit knew Dally wouldn't be able to handle much more than a tame mare with the state he was in now. The only reason he agreed to take Dally was so he could keep an eye on him. He certainly didn't want him going to the range alone._

* * *

Two-Bit pulled up next to the pasture. He could see Ken, the owner, tending to his horses. Sodapop used to work for him, cleaning stables and things like that. It was Soda who'd introduced Ken to everyone in the gang and he said they were welcome to come ride any time. He was always looking for someone to exercise his horses for him, especially now that he was reaching an old age. Ken tipped his hat and waved to them as Two-Bit parked the car.

"You sure you're up for this?" Two-Bit asked cautiously. Dally was resting his head against the window. He still looked pretty beat from last night.

"Yeah," he answered, lifting his head to face to Two-Bit.

"He'll be fine, Two-Bit," Liz said from the backseat. When she'd found out they were going to the range, she decided to tag along. She loved horses almost as much as Sodapop did. "We're just gonna ride around for a bit."

Two-Bit sighed. "Just promise me you won't ride Rocco today, Dal," he said.

"Fine, if it'll get you to relax, I won't ride him." Dally said. "You gonna ride today, Mathews?"

Two-Bit shook his head. He had never been a big fan of horses. For starters, they made him sneeze. He was allergic to them. So he never liked riding all that much because he'd get allergens all over his clothes. He liked going to rodeos though. "Look, we ain't stayin' longer than an hour, okay?" Two-Bit said as they got out of the car. "I ain't hangin' around here all day."

Ken greeted them with open arms, saying he was happy they'd come today. Sasha, a black mare, had recently given birth to a baby colt and Ken was looking for someone to show him off to. "He's a beaut, ain't he?" he asked, as they approached the newborn's stall.

He really was. He wasn't much older than 2 weeks, but still stood sturdily beside his mom. And the way the sun hit his hair made him look shiny and sleek.

Two-Bit reached his hand out to pet him, but the colt quickly ducked away.

Ken laughed. "He's still pretty shy," he said.

But then Dally reached his hand out and the young horse came right up to him.

"If that doesn't make you feel like shit, I don't know what will," Liz said, chuckling at Two-Bit.

Two-Bit rolled his eyes. "Dal's just some sort of horse whisperer," he said, shrugging. "I ain't got his powers."

"You got a name for this little guy?" Liz asked Ken as she reached her arm out to pat the colt's head.

"That's Mr. Presley, himself," Ken answered with a wink. "I named him Elvis."

"That's a stupid name," Dally muttered under his breath to Two-Bit. They started making their way down the line to the stalls of other horses. "You know who he reminds me of?"

Two-Bit frowned. "Ken?"

"No, the colt," Dally answered.

"I don't know. Who?"

"Johnny. They've got the same scared eyes."

* * *

Dally ended up not lasting much longer than half an hour before he asked to head home. Two-Bit had remained by the stables, smoking a couple cigarettes, and watching him and Liz ride around on their horses of choice. Dally had gone with Buttercup, a golden, Akhal Teke horse who had retired from racing several years ago. Liz went with Theo, a young, brown Saddlebred.

Two-Bit tried to focus on how happy Dally looked while riding Buttercup, instead of how skinny and frail he looked. Gosh, he was thin. With each trot Buttercup took, it looked like Dally's torso would break in half.

When he brought Buttercup back in, Two-Bit assumed he wanted to take another horse out. "Who're you goin' with this time, Winston?" he asked as Dally led Buttercup back into her stall.

"Nobody. I'm done," he answered. "Let's get outta here."

Two-Bit put out the cigarette he was smoking. "You okay?" he asked.

"Fine, Mathews," Dally said tiredly. "I'm just ready to head back."

So Two-Bit whistled for Liz to bring Theo in, and they headed home.

On the drive home, Dally immediately fell asleep, and Two-Bit wondered if he'd done the right thing by bringing him out to the range. It was obvious this trip had taken a lot out of him. But as Two-Bit glanced at Dally, and saw the slight smile on his lips, he decided it was worth it. Maybe tonight, instead of prison and bull queers, Dally would dream about horses.

Just maybe.


	27. Date

After the last bell at school on Wednesday, someone slammed Two-Bit's locker shut before he had the chance to put his books away. Before he had time to react, Kathy appeared in front of him, arms folded across her chest.

"Hello, Two-Bit," she said, tapping her foot impatiently.

Two-Bit grinned. He knew what this was about. "Hey, Kathy," he said casually. He pushed her to the side so he could reopen his locker, but she slammed it shut again.

"Gee, that's gonna get old real fast," Two-Bit said. He put the books he was carrying on top of the lockers and turned to face her. "What can I do you for, my lady?"

Kathy raised her eyebrows. "You owe me a date."

Two-Bit feigned surprise. "Me?"

Kathy laughed. "Yeah, you. So when's it gonna be, slick?"

Gosh, Two-Bit was so entranced by her. She was beautiful and had a smart mouth on her too. "Well, how about now?" he asked, not willing to pass up another opportunity with this girl. "You free?"

"As a bird," she replied.

"Then let this impromptu date commence!" Two-Bit said. He grabbed her by the hand and started pulling her down the hallway.

"Wait, what about your books?" she said, drawing him back.

"Oh, so _now_ you're concerned that my books get into my locker."

* * *

Two-Bit took Kathy to the Dairy Queen. He knew their date would have to be brief because his mom left for work at 5 and Liz was at a friend's house. So he had to be back by then to keep an eye on Dally.

Dally seemed to be doing better, which is why Two-Bit didn't feel the need to rush home right away to be with him. He'd gotten some of his appetite back and he wasn't sleeping as much during the day. But he still had nightmares at night. Thankfully, Rick scheduled the doctor to come and see Dally on Friday.

"Two-Bit, want to split a milkshake?" Kathy asked, looking at the menu.

"Sure. I'll go buy it," Two-Bit said, reaching into his pocket to grab his wallet.

But Kathy stopped him. "No, I got this. Go find us a seat."

"That ain't how it's supposed to work," Two-Bit protested. "I'm the one who's supposed to pay."

Kathy raised her eyebrows at him. "Who said anything about payin'?" she asked and grinned at his confused look. "Just go sit down. Trust me."

Two-Bit shrugged and went to find a seat in a booth by the window. He watched as Kathy ordered the milkshake and twirled her hair and giggled with the cashier, Stan. He was amazed when Stan handed her the milkshake without her paying him a cent.

Kathy plopped down in the booth and slid the milkshake over to Two-Bit so he could take a drink. She had an accomplished grin plastered on her face. "So, you flirt with the cashier and he gives you a free milkshake, is that it?" he asked as he took a sip. She'd gotten strawberry, his favorite.

Kathy laughed. "You thought I was flirtin'?"

"That's what it looked like to me," Two-Bit answered. He slid the milkshake back to her.

"Naw, I wasn't flirtin'. Stan's my brother. He hooks me up with free ice cream all the time."

Two-Bit's eyes widened. "Your brother is Oil Can Stan?" That was the nickname the gang had come up with for Stan. He wore so much hair grease that it put Pony and Johnny to shame.

"Is that what you call him?" Kathy asked, amused. "That's great, I'll have to use that on him sometime. Mom thinks his hair's gonna fall out before he's 30."

Just then, Tim Shepard walked in the door. He scanned the room, appearing as though he was looking for someone. Apparently he was looking for Two-Bit, because once he caught his eye, he started walking over to the booth.

"Hey Mathews," Tim said casually. He plopped down in the booth beside him and forced Two-Bit to scoot over.

"I'm sort of in the middle of something here, Shepard," Two-Bit complained, motioning to Kathy.

"Oh yes, I can see that," Tim said, flashing a smile across the table. "Hello, Kathy."

"Tim," Kathy acknowledged through gritted teeth.

Two-Bit's brow furrowed. "You two know each other?"

"Know each other?" Tim laughed. "Me an' Kathy here used to date."

Kathy folded her arms across her chest. "Not one of my proudest achievements," she admitted to Two-Bit. "What do you want, Tim?"

"I want to talk to you, Mathews," he answered. "You got a sec?"

"Not exactly…" Two-Bit said, glancing at Kathy.

"Well, make one," he threatened.

"Go ahead, Two-Bit, I don't mind," Kathy said simply.

So Tim pulled Two-Bit out of the booth and dragged him outside. _Maybe she'll mind when he rips my head off for dating his ex_ , Two-Bit thought as Tim squared his shoulders to face him. Kathy was watching them from the window.

Two-Bit drew in a nervous breath. "Look Shepard, I didn't know you two used to go together. I swear I—"

"Jesus, Mathews, relax will ya?" Tim interrupted. "I don't care about that."

"You don't?"

Tim was grinning in amusement. "'Course not. You can have my sloppy seconds. I got what I needed from her." He leaned in a bit closer. "But just a heads up, grease to grease, she's a fuckin' handful."

Two-Bit chuckled, relieved. "I believe that. So what do you want?"

Tim exhaled deeply. "I saw you guys head into the DQ from across the street and I just…" he trailed off and Two-Bit heard him curse slightly under his breath. He glanced at Two-Bit nervously. "How's Winston doin', man?"

Two-Bit hesitated. "Not too well, Tim. I mean, he's doin' better but he's still—"

"But he'll be okay, right?" Tim's face was etched with worry.

"Yeah, c'mon man, it's Dally," Two-Bit said. He wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Tim or himself. "He just needs some more time." Two-Bit glanced at Tim. He was leaning up against window, biting down on his lip. "Gosh, Shepard, I never knew you cared so much."

"I don't," Tim snapped, quickly putting on a hard face. "It's just – you've heard about the rumble Saturday night, right? Soc against grease?"

Two-Bit nodded. Soda had mentioned something about a rumble earlier on in the week, but Two-Bit hadn't heard anything since. "Is that really going down?"

"You better believe it," Tim said. "And without Winston, we're gonna need every man we can get. The rest of your gang'll be in, right?"

"Shit, Shepard, I don't know, man. Darry's paranoid about the State takin' his brothers away. I'll try to talk him into it, but…" Two-Bit trailed off. "Look, the rest of us'll be there, definitely. Me an' Steve an' Johnny. We'll be there."

Tim started cracking his knuckles nervously. "That ain't good enough. You gotta convince Darry and Soda to show, man. Without them we don't have a prayer."

Two-Bit knew Tim was right. He sighed. "Alright, man, I'll convince him. We'll all be there." Two-Bit gave him his word.

"That's what I like to hear," Tim said. He started walking backwards down the street. "I'll see ya later, Mathews. Good riddance to that crazy broad of yours." With that, Tim turned on his heel and disappeared around the corner.

"Good riddance to you too," Two-Bit mumbled under his breath as he watched him go. It was then that Kathy tapped on the glass and Two-Bit returned back inside to finish his date.


	28. Slap Jack

Two-Bit woke up to a blood-curdling scream on Thursday night, and the first thought that came to his mind was _not again._ He quickly kicked off his covers and sprinted into his bedroom, turning on all the lights as he went.

Dally's sheets were twisted all around him and he was hollering like the devil was after him. This had been going on the past three nights. He'd been having nightmares ever since he'd been staying at the Mathews', but lately they'd increased in intensity. Non-stop screaming, thrashing around, waking up everybody in the house…

"Two-Bit, make him stop," Liz said drowsily from the door as Two-Bit hovered over the bed. She had her fingers in her ears to block out the noise.

Two-Bit was doing everything he could to make him stop. The trouble was, it was getting harder and harder to snap Dally out of his dream each night. Two-Bit had to keep repeating his name. "C'mon Dally, wake up," he pleaded. He tried to gently shake him awake while also trying to avoid his flailing limbs.

As Two-Bit's attempts continued to fail, Rick pushed past Liz and joined Two-Bit in his efforts. He pinned Dally's legs down while Two-Bit finally got him to open his eyes. "Easy, Dal," he said as calmly as he could.

But Dally was anything but calm. He sat bolt upright, narrowly missing butting heads with Two-Bit in the process. He looked around the room wildly, his breaths coming in panicked gasps.

"It's okay, Dally, you were only dreamin'," Two-Bit said, holding his shoulder firmly. "You're okay."

Dally's terror-stricken eyes darted back and forth between Two-Bit and Rick before he finally realized what was going on. Rick let go of his legs, which allowed Dally to pull them up to his chest. He cupped his hands over his nose and mouth and just sat there, shaking. He was clearly humiliated, but even more than that, he was visibly scared out of his mind.

Rick let out a deep breath, relieved that the noise had stopped. To Mrs. Mathews and Liz, who were still standing worriedly by the door, he said calmly, "Go back to bed girls. It's okay."

Liz seemed frozen on the spot, but Mrs. Mathews hurriedly escorted her back to her room.

"Dallas, you alright, son?" Rick asked softly. Two-Bit's heart was still beating rapidly in his chest.

"Fine," Dally answered hoarsely through gritted teeth. He collapsed back into the pillows and covered his face with his hands.

Two-Bit swallowed hard and glanced at Rick. _Go on_ , he mouthed to Rick and nodding toward the door. _Let me talk to him._

Rick hesitated, but then nodded. He squeezed Two-Bit's shoulders on the way out and closed the door softly behind him.

Two-Bit sunk into his desk chair and ran his hands through his hair. He waited while Dally's breaths became steady before he even dared to speak. "Dal?" he said cautiously, after a long while. "You okay?"

"No, I ain't," Dally growled without removing his hands from his face. "Is that what you want me to say?"

Two-Bit licked his lips nervously. "Actually, yeah," he admitted. "It ain't what I want to hear, but it's what I want you to say."

Dally turned on his side so he was facing away from Two-Bit. He was quiet for a moment. "I don't think I should stay here anymore," he finally mumbled.

Two-Bit felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He felt like that came right out of the blue. "What're you talkin' about?"

"All I do is cause trouble. I'm just wastin' everybody's time and takin' up space. I ain't gettin' any better."

"But you _are_ gettin' better, Dal!" Two-Bit exclaimed. "C'mon man, you've been eatin' better. And it's been stayin' down. That's huge, Dally." He bit down on his lip. "Besides, if you didn't stay here, where would you go?"

"I dunno. I'd figure somethin' out. I always do."

"Stop it," Two-Bit snapped. "Just stop it, Dal. You ain't goin' anywhere. We want to help you."

Dally sat up. "Why?" he demanded.

"What do you mean why?"

"Why would anyone want to help a punk kid like me? Why does Rick give a shit?"

"Because, believe or not, there are some good people in this world," Two-Bit answered, without missing a beat. "Rick's one of 'em."

"I don't want anyone's help," Dally insisted grumpily.

"Yeah, well, what you want and what you need are two entirely different things," Two-Bit told him matter-of-factly. "You need to swallow your damn pride, Dal, and realize you're not gonna be able to do this on your own."

Dally's jaw dropped slightly at what Two-Bit was saying to him. It wasn't easy for Two-Bit to say, and it was probably harder for Dally to hear. But it was truth, and Dally knew it. He folded his arms across his chest and stared at the ceiling. Two-Bit could see his eyes starting to overflow with tears.

"Look, Dal," Two-Bit said gently. "You know that doctor's comin' tomorrow, and I think it'd do you some good to talk to him. Will you?"

Even though Dally wouldn't look him in the eye, he sighed and then nodded vaguely. Then he pulled the covers over his head and turned back on his side. He didn't move or say anything for a long while, so Two-Bit took it as his cue to leave.

"You're gonna be okay, Winston," Two-Bit told him quietly as he exited the room. _You have to be._

* * *

The doctor had already arrived when Two-Bit and Liz got home from school on Friday. His car was parked out front, along with Rick's Camaro. Two-Bit quickly parked his car and hurried inside.

His mom and Rick were sitting on the couch. Dally and the doctor were nowhere in sight. "How's it goin'?" Two-Bit asked.

Rick let out a deep breath. "We don't know," he said. "Dallas didn't want us with him, so we let Dr. Haynes go in with him alone. It's been about 15 minutes though, and so far there aren't any signs of Winston killing the poor guy." He chuckled. "I could tell he wasn't too thrilled about all of this."

"Well, for our sake, I hope this guy knows what he's doing," Two-Bit said, collapsing into the armchair.

"Amen to that," Liz chimed in. "I might wring the rat's neck if he wakes me up one more time during the night."

"Elizabeth, be nice," Mrs. Mathews warned, rather hypocritically in Two-Bit's opinion.

Liz hadn't been told all of the details about Dally, but she knew enough to know that he'd been through some trauma. "Whatever," she said. "I'll be in my room."

Two-Bit ended up dozing off while they waited for Dally to be finished with the doctor. When he opened his eyes next, Rick was exchanging words with Dr. Haynes by the front door. Two-Bit's mother had left for work.

Dr. Haynes was an older man, probably in his late 50s. He was slightly heavy-set and had wide-rimmed glasses. Just by looking at him, Two-Bit wasn't very impressed. And he had a feeling Dally wouldn't have been either.

Two-Bit quietly slipped out of the living room and went to get the scoop from Dally. His door was open so he just tapped on the doorframe before stepping inside. "Hey man, how'd it go?" he asked. Dally was lounging on Two-Bit's bed, seemingly deep in thought. "You didn't give him too much trouble, did you?"

"Nah, he was cool," Dally said.

"Really?" Two-Bit asked. He flopped down in his desk chair. "He looked kind of like a dweeb to me."

"Oh yeah, he was a total drip," Dally agreed. "But check out what he gave me."

He tossed Two-Bit a small cardboard box.

"Cigarettes?" Two-Bit asked.

"No, I wish," Dally said. "It's a deck of cards."

"What the hell are you supposed to do with a deck of cards?" Two-Bit questioned.

"He told me to play a game of Slap Jack every night until he comes back next week. You ever heard of it?"

Two-Bit shook his head. The only card games Two-Bit knew how to play were poker and solitaire.

"Well you're gonna have to learn, 'cause you need at least two people to play it," Dally said.

Two-Bit was confused. "So we're payin' this guy how much, and all he did was teach you a stupid card game?"

Dally shrugged. "Pretty much," he said simply. "I ain't complainin'. It's fun."

_Well, at least Dally's in good spirits_ , Two-Bit thought. And then an idea occurred to him. Maybe Dr. Haynes had just been trying to win Dally over. Two-Bit had been in the room when Rick made the call to him. Rick told Dr. Haynes that Dally was pretty skeptical about the whole thing. But as of right now, he seemed completely on-board. Maybe Two-Bit judged Dr. Haynes too quickly. Maybe he was smarter than he thought. Maybe he really could help.

Two-Bit opened the box and let the cards fall onto the bed. "Let's see just how fun this game is," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Show me how it's done, Winston."


	29. Rumble

"Do you know why Shepard wants to have it out with the Socs tonight?" Dally asked from the passenger seat of Two-Bit's car.

Two-Bit shrugged. "Some beef with his gang. I just hope I can get Darry to show."

"He'll show. Darry never misses an opportunity to show off his muscles," Dally said assuredly. "Besides, nobody calls the fuzz in this neighborhood. He knows that."

"Well, I hope you're right. Otherwise we're toast. Especially since we'll be missin' you."

"You don't have to be missin' me," Dally grumbled, sinking lower into the seat. "If you'd just let me fight."

"Do you honestly think you're well enough to be in a rumble?" Two-Bit asked, glancing at Dally out of the corner of his eye.

"There's only one way to find out," he muttered, staring out the window.

Two-Bit turned left. "Forget it, Dal, you ain't comin'."

"I don't get what makes you think you can stop me," Dally remarked under his breath.

He had a point. Two-Bit's mom and Rick were going out tonight and he was sure Liz would have plans of some sort. So there'd be no one there to keep Dally from leaving the house.

"If you were smart, you'd stay away." That was all Two-Bit could really say. Ultimately, Dally would do what he wanted to do.

Two-Bit pulled into the Winston's driveway and put the car in park. "Why are we here again?" he asked, staring at the sorry excuse of a house in front of him.

"I just want to pick up a few things," Dally told him. "I'm sick of wearing your clothes. With any luck my dad'll still be passed out from last night."

"Well, make it quick," Two-Bit said. "I'm missing _Woody the Woodpecker_ for this."

"Trust me, I never stay in this shit-hole any longer than I have to," Dally said as he got out of the car. He slammed the door shut and made his way up to his weathered and run down house.

Two-Bit leaned his seat back and waited. He tried to relax but he was feeling a little antsy about the rumble tonight. He always felt that way before a big rumble, but today he was especially on edge. He had a bad feeling about the whole thing. _I just need to get boozed up_ , he thought to himself.

Dally emerged from his house a few minutes later, holding a duffel bag in one hand and continuing to stuff clothes in it with the other. He seemed rushed, upset. It didn't take long for Two-Bit to see why. Dally's father stood at the doorway, a beer in one hand and shaking his fist at Dally with his other. _So much for him being passed out._

Two-Bit sat up and rolled down the window just in time to hear Dally tell his father to "go fuck himself."

He couldn't make out what Mr. Winston said in return. It just sounded like belligerent, drunken shouting. Dally pulled opened the passenger door and got in, cursing under his breath. Two-Bit gaped at him. He was crying.

"You okay?" Two-Bit asked softly. "What happened?" He'd never seen Dally get worked up about his father like this.

"Nothing, Mathews, just get me outta here." Dally angrily wiped his eyes on his sleeve and glared out the window.

Two-Bit obeyed and quickly put the car in reverse. He zoomed out of the driveway. He could still see Mr. Winston hollering at them in the rearview mirror.

Back on the road, Two-Bit glanced at Dally nervously. He was clutching his duffel bag closely to his chest and shaking slightly. He was pissed, alright.

"Dal…?"

"That motherfucker can go straight to hell," Dally growled as a reply. "He can go straight to hell." He continued to curse, accompanied by _no good, washed-out drunk_ and _what does he know?_

Two-Bit's heart sank. "Look Dal, whatever that asshole said to you, don't listen to him," he said firmly. "You've never listened to him before so don't start now. You hear me?"

All Dally could do was nod.

When they got back home, Dally went straight to the bedroom and Two-Bit decided it was best to leave him alone. He went to the kitchen and grabbed three beers from the fridge. This was just a fraction of the amount of alcohol he planned on consuming today. There were still a couple of hours until the big fight, but there was no such thing as starting too early on the day of a rumble. Not in Two-Bit's mind anyway. Then he turned on the TV and settled into the couch. He was eager to drink down those beers and focus on beating down the Socs.

* * *

Two-Bit knocked on his bedroom door. It was almost time to leave for the rumble and he hadn't seen or heard from Winston since they'd gotten back from his house. Dally didn't answer his knock so Two-Bit carefully turned the doorknob and peeked inside.

Dally was sound asleep, but all the lights were still on and he hadn't taken his shoes off. It was obvious to Two-Bit that he hadn't meant to fall asleep. His brow furrowed when he noticed that Dally was clutching something in his hand. It looked like a photograph.

Two-Bit stepped into the room to get a better look. Being careful not to wake Dally, he gently pulled the print from his loose grasp. It was a picture of an older gentleman lifting up a young, tow-headed boy to pet a horse. Two-Bit assumed the young boy was Dally, but he didn't recognize the man. He was much too old to be Dally's father.

Two-Bit swallowed hard and set the photograph down on the nightstand. His heart was suddenly very heavy as he realized that he didn't know all that much about Dally's past. He knew about New York, but he had no idea what went on in his life before that. He couldn't even imagine Dallas Winston as a little, innocent kid.

Two-Bit sighed and pulled Dally's shoes off for him. He was amazed that Dally didn't even stir. Then he pulled the covers out from underneath him and draped them over his figure. That's when he regretfully noticed that Dally had beads of sweat forming on his brow. Two-Bit held his breath and gently put the back of his hand up to Dally's forehead. He was burning up, just as Two-Bit had feared.

"Shit, Dal," Two-Bit breathed. He sunk into his desk chair and ran his hands through his hair. "You sure pick the best times to be sick."

Two-Bit knew he couldn't miss the rumble. That was out of the question. But he found it unsettling to leave Dally alone when he was clearly running a fever. On the other hand, he was kind of relieved. If he left now, without waking him, there was a good chance that Dally would sleep through the whole thing.

Two-Bit decided he was going to have to take those chances. He turned off the light and quietly slipped out of the room.

* * *

When Two-Bit stepped into the Curtis household, he was greeted with chaos. Music was blaring and the guys were running around the house, getting riled up and failing at conserving their energy for the brawl.

"Hey, Two-Bit's here!" Soda shouted, leaping from the couch to tackle him.

"I take it Darry's lettin' you fight," Two-Bit said, struggling to get free of Soda's hold.

"Just as long as he and Pony beat it out of there if the fuzz show," Darry said. He pulled Soda up off of Two-Bit. "Cool it, little buddy."

Soda couldn't contain himself. "I just can't wait to knock those Socs to the ground!" he hollered. He was practically bouncing off the walls.

Darry shook his head as Soda went flying out of the room to go bug Pony and Johnny who were getting spruced up in the bathroom. They were putting on more hair grease than necessary, but all the greasers did that before a rumble. To really show what they stood for.

"The fuzz ain't gonna show," Steve said coolly from the couch. He was holding a cigarette and blowing smoke rings at the ceiling.

"Steve, what did I tell you about smoking in the house?" Darry nagged.

Two-Bit was still lying on the floor, having gotten the wind knocked out of him when Soda tackled him. Darry gave him a hand to help him up. Two-Bit dusted himself off and then he went to get revenge on Soda.

* * *

It was Two-Bit who threw the first punch. He was just so tired of waiting around. It felt like they had been staring at each other for hours, Soc vs. grease.

Normally Two-Bit stuffed beers in his jacket and got filthy drunk before showing up at a rumble. Normally he was so out of it that he didn't even remember big fights like this. His bruises and scars were the only thing to show for them. But today, once he discovered that Dally was sick, he hadn't had another drop of alcohol. And he was regretting it. Because now he was sober. And freezing.

Two-Bit stood in that line facing the Socs, listening to the heavy breaths of anticipation for the fight ahead. He knew that the more time he wasted staring at the idiots in front of him, the longer he'd be away from Dally.

It was a strange revelation, really. Two-Bit realized, in that particular moment, that he couldn't care less about the Socs. They were nothing but an inconvenience tonight, and he hated them for it.

So he threw the first punch. He didn't even bother looking to see who he hit. He just picked a Soc at random, wound up, and clocked him in the nose. And that did it. The rumble began.

Two-Bit yelped in pain as two Socs teamed up on him and kicked him in the ribs. _That's what I get for starting it all_ , Two-Bit thought vaguely. Luckily Steve was looking out for him because he jumped on one of the Soc's back which caused him to butt heads with the other Soc. Leave it to Steve to kill two birds with one stone.

"Didn't know you had the balls to start one of these things, Mathews," Steve yelled to Two-Bit as he pulled him up.

"Neither did I!" Two-Bit yelled back. He saw a Soc start in on Sodapop and he made to help him out, but Darry beat him to it. Darry always had an eye out for his brothers in a rumble.

Suddenly, Two-Bit was kicked in the head and everything went black. He figured he was still conscious though, because he could hear the racket, but only dimly. Once he regained his bearings, the first thing he saw was Johnny getting pummeled by a Soc who was nearly twice his size. It made Two-Bit's blood boil and he scrambled across the lot to help him out.

Two-Bit grabbed the Soc and threw him on the ground. Two-Bit knew him. He was an old teammate of Darry's. Paul Holden. But while Two-Bit was preoccupied with him, trying to slug his lights out, another Soc started in on Johnny. And Two-Bit desperately tried to get to him, but Paul was much too big and much too strong.

Two-Bit tried to holler at Steve to come help Johnny out, when Paul slugged him right in the chin. Two-Bit could feel blood start to fill up his mouth. Then Paul kicked him hard in the ribs and Two-Bit's body went limp.

Paul left him lying there and went on to find a new victim. Unfortunately for Paul, he found Darry, and Two-Bit knew Superman would be the victor out of the two of them.

Two-Bit curled into himself and then tried to stand up, but the air was knocked out of him and the pain in his ribs was blinding. Rumbles sure hurt more when you're sober.

Just then, someone grabbed him by the shirt and hauled him to his feet. "What the fuck is Winston doing here?" he heard Shepard growl in his ear.

Panic rushed over Two-Bit like a wave. "What?" he demanded, looking around wildly. That's when he noticed that Johnny no longer had a Soc on top of him. He lay doubled up and groaning about ten yards away, with a concerned Ponyboy kneeling beside him. And now it was Dally who was being pummeled instead.

Two-Bit's stomach dropped into his toes.

"He needs help, c'mon!" Shepard hissed. He pushed Two-Bit forward and the two of them went to Dally's aid. Tim grabbed the limp and lifeless Dally and dragged him away from the action, allowing Two-Bit to have the Soc all to himself.

Two-Bit slammed him. His adrenaline was pumping so rapidly that he could've potentially taken on anyone with ease. He knocked this Soc's lights out, quickly and painfully. And when he was finished, he heard someone announce gleefully that the Socs were running.

And they were. Two-Bit wasn't sure if it was because they'd won or if it was because of the sirens that had gradually gotten louder. Two-Bit didn't care either way. He was just relieved it was over.

Shepard was kneeling over Dally, trying to get him to wake up. He stirred as Two-Bit dropped down beside him.

"Is he okay?" a nervous Johnny asked from a distance. The rest of the gang had slowly started to surround them.

Two-Bit couldn't speak, so he was thankful when Darry took action. "He'll be fine," he said. "Soda, Steve, get Pony and Johnny home before the fuzz shows." The sirens were much closer now. No one made any effort to move. "Go. Now," Darry demanded and the four of them took off running.

"Dally what the hell were you thinkin'?" Two-Bit hissed as Dally struggled to sit up. He was so mad at Dally's stupidity that he couldn't even see straight. Or maybe that was the blow to his head…

Darry dropped down beside them. "Hey, that ain't important now," he said gently. "We just need to get him out of here."

"Let's take him to Buck's," Shepard suggested. "It's closest."

Darry agreed, so he and Shepard half-carried, half dragged Dally to Buck's place. Two-Bit was having a hard of enough time trying to remain conscious, so he just ran behind them, praying to the heavens that Dally would be okay.


	30. Normal

Once they were behind closed doors at Buck's, the four of them piled into the small room that Dally so frequently claimed as his own. Dallas collapsed onto the bed, Tim and Two-Bit sprawled out on the floor, and Darry stood beside the doorway, hands on his knees and catching his breath.

Two-Bit leaned up against the dresser, dizzily surveying the scene in front of him. Tim had a fat lip and was favoring his left arm. Darry, on the other hand, looked almost brand new. He was unscathed, minus his busted knuckles. Dally just looked sick.

Darry closed the door and spoke first. "Dal, what were you thinkin' pulling a stunt like that?" he breathed. "You know you ain't well enough to—" he broke off, biting down on his lip.

Dally sat up. "What do you mean I ain't well enough?" he asked slowly. His eyes landed on Two-Bit, filled with contempt. "You told him, didn't you?" His voice was hoarse and breathless.

Two-Bit didn't have the energy to act apologetic. "Yeah," he answered, rubbing his temples. God, his head hurt like hell. He couldn't wait for this night to be over.

"Great," Dally snarled, his voice catching in his throat. He let his head fall into his hands and Two-Bit wasn't sure if it was because he was embarrassed or if it was because he felt ill. It was probably a combination of the two.

Darry sighed and sat down beside him on the bed. He put his hand on Dally's forehead and cursed loudly. "He's burnin' up," he told Two-Bit.

Two-Bit nodded vaguely. "I know." He closed his eyes because the light wasn't helping his throbbing headache. "He was like that when I left him."

"I'm fine," Dally insisted as firmly as he could. He was clearly trying to hold back tears, because he knew as well as the next guy that you just don't cry in front of Darrel Curtis if you can help it. Especially if you're Dallas Winston.

"You ain't fine." Shepard spoke up for the first time. Two-Bit had almost forgotten he was there. "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. You're a fuckin' train wreck, Winston. I ain't gonna lie to you man, I liked seein' you out there tonight, only 'cause that's where you belong. But I swear to almighty, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll kill you."

Dally didn't say anything. He just kept his head down. Shepard stood up slowly, wincing in pain as he did. "Listen, I know you ain't a fool, Winston," he continued. "So do yourself a favor and get your head out of your ass. Because until you do that, you ain't ever gonna drop this baggage of yours."

Two-Bit and Darry just stared. That was quite a speech for Tim Shepard.

Tim tilted his head at Dally, who still hadn't dared to look up, and sighed loudly. "I think I'm gonna split and go get blazed," he said to Darry. "Winston, look me up when you're over this horseshit. 'Cause I sure as hell can't stand to see you like this." Then he nodded to Darry and Two-Bit respectively, saying, "Curtis. Mathews." And then he was gone.

Two-Bit wanted to go after him. Ask him why they'd had this rumble in the first place. But then he figured it didn't matter. Greasers had won, Socs had lost. Tonight greasers celebrated, tomorrow they'd be right back where they started. At the bottom, because life isn't fair and the Socs get all the breaks. Besides, Two-Bit's head was so heavy that standing up seemed like an impossible task.

"…hear me?"

Darry's voice broke into Two-Bit's thoughts.

"What?" he asked, opening his eyes. Darry was rubbing out Dally's shoulder muscles, but he was looking at Two-Bit. Dally's head was still in his hands. Two-Bit wondered if he'd ever look up.

"I asked if you heard me. You okay?"

Two-Bit closed his eyes. "Head hurts," he admitted softly.

He heard Darry sigh and then stand up. "I'll bet it does. I saw that Soc knock you out. I'll try and find somethin' for you to take."

Two-Bit felt him hovering at the dresser. He started to move to the side but Darry stopped him. "Stay put. You're alright." He opened up the top drawer and started going through it. "I know you have some aspirin in here, Dal. Where is it?"

"Back left," Dally mumbled.

When Darry found it, it was a game changer. Two-Bit took the pills greedily, not caring that he didn't have any water swallow them down with. He'd do anything to stop the pounding in his head. Darry also handed Dally some pills. "Get that fever down," he said firmly.

"Dar, you should get back home," Two-Bit said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Make sure Soda and them are okay. Me and Dal'll just stay here tonight."

Darry hesitated but ultimately agreed. He left, but not before he helped them get ready for the night.

* * *

Two-Bit lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. Darry had found him some pillows and a blanket, and Two-Bit was actually more comfortable than he expected he'd be. The aspirin had started to kick in, and his head was starting to feel better. But he wasn't tired. Besides, he could still hear the racket coming from downstairs.

He had a suspicion that Dally wasn't asleep either because he hadn't started snoring yet.

"Dal," Two-Bit said softly. "You still awake?"

"Yeah," Dally answered from the darkness.

Two-Bit bit down on his lip. He was hoping to get some answers. He decided to start with the question that had been bugging him since he'd left his house that evening. "You know that picture of you pettin' the horse?"

Dally sighed. "You saw that?"

"Yeah. Who's that man holdin' you up?"

"My granddad. The only decent human being in my entire goddamned family." Dally let out a deep breath. "He died about a month ago. Pop told me this mornin'. Gave me shit for not bein' around to bury him. He didn't care that his dad was dead, he just cared that he had to do all the fuckin' work to put him in the ground."

Two-Bit swallowed hard. He wouldn't expect any less from Mr. Winston. "That sucks," he told Dally, because what else could he really say? "I'm real sorry about your granddad."

"He was old," Dally said sharply, clearly not wanting to talk about it anymore. But gracious, no wonder he'd been so upset this morning.

They were quiet for a little while longer, until Two-Bit had the guts to speak again. "Dal, why'd you come tonight?"

"I came to watch. I wasn't plannin' on fightin'."

Two-Bit chuckled lightly, but stopped at once. Laughing hurt his ribs. At any rate, he didn't believe that at all. "Sure."

"I mean it. I really ain't that stupid," Dally retorted. "It's just, when I saw Johnny was in trouble and the rest of you couldn't get to him…" he trailed off, confident that he'd made his case. "I swear that little punk causes me more trouble than he's worth."

"You know, I could say the same about you," Two-Bit joked.

He was amazed when Dally laughed. "Yeah, I guess you could."

* * *

Dally started to rapidly improve after the night of the rumble. He continued to see the doctor and he ate at nearly every meal. His nightmares became few and far between. It was refreshing, seeing him get stronger each day. Becoming more like how he used to be.

Two-Bit had his guesses as to why the rumble was the catalyst to Dally's healing process, but, of course, he really couldn't know for sure. His best guess was that Dally felt needed that night. He had saved Johnny's neck, after all. And Two-Bit believed that it gave Dally a purpose to live again.

But then again, maybe he'd finally just had enough time.

* * *

About three weeks after the rumble, Two-Bit woke up late one Sunday morning to find Dallas gone. His bed was sloppily made and the deck of cards he'd gotten from Dr. Haynes sat on top of his pillow. In pen, Dally had scrawled a messy " _Thanks, Mathews_ " on the box. There was no other trace that Dally had even been there. His duffel bag was gone, the clothes he borrowed from Two-Bit were in the hamper.

Two-Bit made his way out to the kitchen, still holding the deck of cards in his hand. He knew he should be happy, but he had a sad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Rick and his mother were at the table. Rick reading the newspaper, and his mother paying bills.

Two-Bit sighed as he sunk into the chair.

"Feels like something's missin', doesn't it?" Rick asked.

Two-Bit nodded. "When did he leave?"

"Early this morning," Rick answered. "I just barely caught him. He thanked me – us, for everything we did for him," he said, glancing at Mrs. Mathews. "I think your mom's gonna miss him."

Mrs. Mathews smiled. "He was starting to grow on me," she admitted. "But I'm glad he's healthy enough that he doesn't need us anymore."

"Did he say where he was goin'?" Two-Bit asked.

Rick frowned, trying to remember. "I think he said somethin' about lookin' up a girl…"

Two-Bit grinned. Dallas Winston, what a dog.

* * *

After school on Tuesday, Two-Bit, Ponyboy, and Johnny headed over to the DX to see what Steve and Soda were up to. Dally was there, sitting on the counter and watching them work.

Two-Bit hopped up next to him. "Hey, stranger," he said.

Dally smirked at him. "I thought it was about time you had your bed back." That was all he offered as an explanation.

"I'll say," Two-Bit said. Then quietly, he added, "I'm glad you're alright, man."

* * *

A couple days later, Shepard was waiting under a tree for Two-Bit outside of the school. He was holding a brick in his hand.

"Is Winston still at your place?" Shepard asked as Two-Bit approached him.

"Nup. He left Sunday."

"Well, do you know where I might find him?"

Two-Bit glanced sideways at the brick. "Why do you ask?"

"Found this beauty smashed through the windshield of my car this mornin'," Shepard said, tossing him the brick. "I have a feelin' it belongs to good 'ol Dally."

"And what makes you think that?" Two-Bit asked as he examined the block. Then he realized. Written on it, in Dally's messy handwriting, were the words: _I'm over my horseshit._

Two-Bit started laughing, and once he started he couldn't stop. Dally sure had a brave way of telling Shepard he was finally okay again. "I think you could probably find him at Sylvia's," Two-Bit told Tim through his tears of laughter. He couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed like that.

"Excellent," Shepard said, turning to go.

"Wait, Tim," Two-Bit said. Tim turned back around to face him, and Two-Bit quickly composed himself. "Are you mad?" he asked. Tim seemed surprisingly calm about all of this.

"Not this time."

"You're still gonna let him have though, aren't you?"

Tim grinned. "Absolutely."

As Two-Bit watched him go, a wave of relief washed over him. The past few months had been hard. Real hard. But for the first time in forever, things finally felt normal again.


End file.
